The First of Their Kind
by Death-Angel-Hikari
Summary: The bit beasts Creatures of unimaginable power, heirlooms that were part and parcel of one's heritage. What would happen then, if the four famed bit beasts Seiryuu, Genbu, Byakko, and Suzaku were to choose new masters not of the same bloodline?
1. Prologue

A/N: I'm back, with a new story to boot! hehe...sorry to all those who've been waiting to read the next installment of 'Revelation'. I've been busy with schoolwork and, somewhere along the way, I lost the train of thought...oops... But that doesn't mean the fic will be discontinued! I just have to dig up my notes for the story -

Aki: What notes! You didn't even create a backupstoryboard for that fic!

Me: Don't mind him; he's just jealous because his partner, Mei, thought up the story and not him...anyways...hope you guys enjoy _this_ fic. It came to me in a dream one night and it was _so_ good I had to make a story based on it...and if you don't enjoy it...sigh oh, well...

Disclaimer - Me: Mei, if you would be so kind?

Mei: Yay! I get to do the disclaimer! ahem Hikari-chan does not own Beyblade nor its characters. She does, however, own Kumiko-chan and the rest of the OCs.

Me: Enjoy!

**Prologue: The Beginning**

A lone leaf twirled in the wind, as though looking for a playmate. Finding none, it went on its way, dancing and flitting in the breeze. The sun was bright, but its warmth was pleasantly soothing. A bluebird surveyed the scene before it: peaceful and quiet.

Suddenly, it spied something coming around the corner. Like the single leaf, the girl, with shoulder-length hair and glasses was alone, but didn't look lonely. In fact, she seemed glad for the solitude. The bluebird cocked its head, as though deciding on something, and then flew towards her. She looked up and grinned, offering her hand as a perch for the winged creature.

"Hey there." She said. Her voice was soft, a soothing mixture of joy and sorrow. The bird cocked its head once more. It studied her, its coal-black eyes twinkling.

The girl smiled once again as she gently stroked the blue feathers, humming a tune known only to her. The bird opened its beak and chirped along with her. A small laugh escaped her lips.

"Go on, little one. I need to go now, and I'm sure you'd love to be off as well," she whispered, stroking its feathers once more. The bird obliged, immediately taking wing, singing as it did so. The brunette grinned once more, watching as it flew off.

"Thank you for the song!" she called after it, though she knew it could never understand her. She stood there, gazing into the sky until her small companion could no longer be seen. Then she turned and continued on her way.

* * *

"Earth to Kumiko!"

The amethyst-eyed teen looked up and smiled. "Hey, Yuujin." She greeted the auburn-haired girl that approached her.

"Don't tell me you're listening to another CD," Yuujin said, stopping to smooth down the black skirt that was part of their uniform. Kumiko smiled sheepishly.

"As a matter of fact, I am."

"No wonder you didn't hear me the first time I called you!"

"Well, I wouldn't have heard you anyway," the brunette shrugged. "I mean, take a look at this hallway! Its crammed full, and everyone's jabbering away!"

"You _do_ have a point, I guess…" Yuujin let her aqua eyes roam the packed hallway. It _was_ rather jam-packed, and the students _were_ rather noisy…

"What's all the fuss about, anyway?" Kumiko wondered aloud. "Is there some sort of celebrity here?"

Yuujin gaped at her friend. "You didn't hear about it?" she asked, thunderstruck.

"Hear about what?"

"The announcement last Friday!"

"I don't think so…" Kumiko gazed off, thinking. "What was it about?"

"The principal said that our school was chosen to take part in the Junior Beyblade Championships - "

"Oh. My. Gosh!" Kumiko exclaimed, looking excited. "That's…that's _wonderful_! I've always wanted to join the Championships! This is so…" Suddenly, she looked crestfallen. "But…none of us know _how_ to blade. Competitively, at least."

"I'm getting to that." Yuujin gave her friend a smile, indicating that the purple-eyed teen should be patient. Obligingly, Kumiko stopped talking.

"Anyway, he said that one of several blading teams that had competed in the previous World Championships would come here. _They're _the ones who are going to train _us_."

"Okay…and this is by class?" Kumiko looked hopeful once more.

Yuujin shook her head vigorously. "Nope. You have to sign up."

"Where?"

"Registration will take place in our respective classrooms. Various teachers will place the sign-up sheets on the door after homeroom. The first five from each class will be taken. "

"But-"

"Let me finish!" Yuujin said laughingly. She then leaned over so she could whisper in her friend's ear. "Not a lot students from our class know about this. And you know how often a teacher posts something on the door-"

"Which is _a lot_…"

"That means we can sign up while our mathematics teacher isn't there, so we'll be among the first to sign up from _our_ class."

"Good." Kumiko nodded happily. "Thank you for telling me, Yuujin."

"No prob."

Suddenly the bell rang. "Uh, oh!" The pair dashed off down the hallway towards their room, weaving their way through the 'crowd'.

* * *

"…Suzumaki?" the teacher looked up from her records, wispy strands of blonde hair falling in front of her eyes as she gazed from the tops of her reading glasses. A red-haired girl at the back of the classroom raised her hand. 

"Present, _sensei._"

The teacher gave a curt nod and closed her record book.

"Everyone's here. Good." She walked over to her desk and set down the record. "Now-"

There was a knock at the door; everyone turned to see who it was. Another teacher, this one male and from the physical education department, stood at the door. He smiled at the blonde instructor. "Sorry about that. I was just going to put up this announcement on the door."

The teacher smiled back. "No problem. I'll ask my students to read it later."

"Of course." With that, the P.E instructor left.

Kumiko locked gazes with Yuujin, who was clear across the room.

_It's the sign-up sheet…_ she mouthed, her purple eyes twinkling with excitement.

_I know!_ The auburn-haired teen mouthed back, her eyes sparkling as well. Then she looked worried. _But _sensei_ said that she'd ask the class to check it out later. Now everyone will know about it!_

_Don't worry!_ Kumiko winked, grinning mischievously. _I have a plan…_ Suddenly, she raised her hand.

"Yes, Fujiwara?" the teacher addressed her. Kumiko grimaced and lightly touched her stomach as she stood up.

"_Sensei_, may I visit the school nurse? I don't feel well…"

"Very well, you may." To the class, she said, "Which one of you would kindly volunteer to accompany Fujiwara to the nurse?"

Yuujin raised her hand. "May I do it, _sensei_?"

"Thank you, Itoe. However, I expect you to be back in ten minutes."

"Yes, ma'am." The girls answered in unison. At the same time, both discreetly concealed their mechanical pencils in the pockets.

Trying hard not to giggle, Yuujin 'helped' Kumiko out the door. Kumiko, meanwhile, was giving a making all sorts of pained faces to convince the teacher. As soon as they stepped over the threshold and closed the door, they slapped each other high fives and took turns to sign in their names on the sheet. Kumiko, having been the one to cook up the plot, wrote her name in the first blank; Yuujin wrote hers on the second.

"C'mon, let's go to the nurse now," Kumiko urged.

"Why? Can't we just hang out in the washroom until the ten minutes have passed?"

"What if Takeda-_sensei_ spots us?" the brunette asked, referring to the school's disciplinarian. "We'd have to have a good reason. What's better than having to pay a visit to the school nurse?"

"Oh, yeah…" The two girls ran down the hall, slowing down as they neared their destination.

* * *

"Welcome back, Fujiwara, Itoe." The two girls looked up as they entered the door of their classroom. 

"Good morning, _sensei_," they greeted. Their mathematics teacher nodded his head, smiling.

"Please, sit down. You're lucky; the class started but five minutes ago, so you haven't missed much." To Kumiko, he said, "I hope you're feeling better, Fujiwara. Your homeroom moderator tells me that you had a stomachache earlier this morning."

"Thank you, sir, but I feel much better now." Kumiko grinned. She sat down and took out her notebook. Across the room, Yuujin did the same.

"Now, as I was saying…"

* * *

Kumiko stepped back from the door. She and Yuujin had just carried out Phase 2 of their plan to be among the 'lucky five', as she called it. Two minutes earlier, the bell had rung, signaling their break, and she and Yuujin had rushed to the door and 'signed' their names on the first two spaces. 

"Wow, you girls were fast!" One of their classmates, Rintaro, commented as he glanced at the paper. "You're the first two signed up!"

"I guess we're just lucky," Yuujin said, chuckling. "Excuse me for a moment." She stepped out and ran down the hall.

"Beyblade, huh?" Rintaro said, apparently having just finished reading the announcement. He glanced at Kumiko. "I didn't know you girls could blade."

"Well, I do in my spare time, and so does Yuujin."

"I see. Well, good luck." He smiled at her before stepping into the hallway to meet his other friends.

"Thanks." She replied, grinning back. Having nothing to do, she made her way to her desk and sat down. She reached into her book bag, took out her sketchbook, and leafed through it until she found the page she wanted. On it, she had sketched herself, wearing a black halter-top and blue cargoes, one of the outfits she loved wearing on weekends out. That part was already inked and colored in. It was the background she was having trouble with. She had sketched a phoenix, the bit beast of her favorite blader, Hiwatari Kai of Team BBA, but she hadn't finished it yet.

Sighing, she reached for her pencil and began to draw.

* * *

"This looks like the place," a rather short, brown-haired teen with glasses glanced at the paper he held in his hand, and then up at the gray building. 

"It has to be, Chief. There's only one Sento-Sasaki Senior High School in all of Wakayanagi." A dark-blue haired teen standing beside him said, grinning widely.

"Shall we go inside?" an amber-eyed teen suggested, smiling at his companions.

"Sure, Rei. Why not?" Mizuhara Max, the blonde agreed. Rei Kon glanced at his friend. Indeed, he looked excited to go inspect the facility. _He's been like that ever since Chairman Daitouji told us about the program…_he thought, smiling and shaking his head.

"Then let's go!" Kinomiya Takao, the blue-haired teen who had spoken earlier, urged. He took off like a shot towards what must have been the entrance to the gym, since the building was rather set apart from the rest of the compound.

"Here we go again…" 'Chief' sighed. He picked up his bag from the ground and hoisted it onto his shoulder. "C'mon, guys…"

The three teens quickened their pace in order to catch up with their companion. Only one teen was left standing at the school's main entrance.

Hiwatari Kai, the stoic captain of Team BBA, continued to gaze at the building. For reasons he couldn't explain, he was drawn to the third window on the second floor; no matter where he forced himself to look, his eyes always ended up on that particular window. Finally, he sighed and compelled himself to join his companions in the gym.

_Something's about to happen,_ he thought, the wind blowing his signature scarf to one side. _But what?_

_

* * *

_

A/N: So, what do you guys think? It feels rather short for a prologue...Ah, well, that's life! Anyways, please read and review, people! Peace out!


	2. Chapter 1: The First Encounter

A/N: Ahahaa! Two chappies in one day!

Aki: That's not really a record...

Me: Don't be such a wet blanket, Aki-kun! I _am_ trying to make up for the delay in updating 'Revelation', ya know...Anyway, this is where it _might_ start to get obvious who'll end up with ---- Wait, I'm not supposed to give out info _this_ early...hehe...At any rate, hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed typing it up!

Disclaimer- Me: Aki, it's your turn...

Aki: sigh Hikari doesn't own Beyblade and its characters; they belong to Aoki Takao, d-rights, Hudson Soft Takara Beyblade Project. All other characters are of her own creation. If any persons mentioned herein bear any resemblance to any real persons, living or dead, they are purely coincidental - so don't sue!

Me: Enjoy!

**Chapter 1: The First Encounter**

"Who else do you think signed up for the training program?" Kumiko asked as she hurriedly pulled on her pristine white P.E shirt. She had looking forward to the event since that morning, but now that it was actually here – she hated to admit it – she was nervous.

"I'm about as clueless as you are, Kumiko. I didn't bother looking at the sign-up sheets before we left the room." Yuujin grinned brightly at her friend. She reached up and tucked a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ears. "What I really want to know is-"

"Who's going to be training us? That's what I'd like to know, too!" The amethyst orbs sparkled with excitement. She grabbed her brush and began putting her hair into the two braids she usually wore them in whenever they had P.E.

Suddenly, the P.A system blared. "All senior students please assemble in the gym," came the voice of their P.E instructor. "Your 'special trainers' have already arrived."

"This is it…" Yuujin muttered, instinctively grasping Kumiko's hand in hers; the raven-haired teen knew her friend was nervous, possibly more than she was, so she squeezed the other's hand, trying to reassure her.

"Yup, the point of no return." She grinned, and then both girls made their way out of the locker room.

* * *

"Uh, where is everybody?" Max asked, looking around. The huge gymnasium was still empty, except for a lone janitor at the far end.

"They're probably still changing," Rei suggested as he sat down, allowing his amber eyes to take in every detail of the building's interior.

The silence was broken by the rather eerie squeal of hinges, and all eyes were drawn to a door at the left side of the gym. Out stepped two girls, who looked rather bewildered. They carefully made their way over to where the group was standing.

Takao grinned, then waved at the pair. "Hey, are the both of you seniors?" he asked

"_H-hai_." The taller one, a girl with deep purple eyes and shoulder length hair answered. She and her companion – a rather petite female with auburn hair and pleasant blue-green eyes – bowed as a sign of respect.

"Please, sit down for a while." Kyouju said as he looked up from his laptop. "We're still waiting for the others to catch up."

"_Hai, sensei_." This time, it was the smaller girl who replied. The other seemed, strangely enough, overwhelmed.

Kumiko glanced at her friend. She was pleased to see a small smile grace her lips. Their eyes met, and the grin widened. Kumiko knew what that meant, for she was thinking the same thing. _We're actually going to be trained by Team BBA!_ She thought excitedly, scarcely hiding her smile.

* * *

It seemed like only seconds had gone by when Yuujin looked up. To her surprise, she and Kumiko had been joined by the whole senior year. Everyone, except for her and Kumiko, were chattering away, paying no mind to the five instructors standing quietly in front of them. Apparently, one of the instructors had had enough.

"Silence." Kai's voice, at once quiet and commanding, echoed throughout the building, effectively cutting the chatter short. His crimson gaze trailed from one end of the congregation to the other, as though he were daring someone to break the silence he had induced. When he was satisfied that no one would, he turned away and returned to leaning on the wall.

Rei spoke up, more to break the ice than for introductions. "Uh, welcome, everyone. As you may already know, my companions and I – known largely as Team BBA – are here to train you."

"Hopefully, enough so you'll participate in the Junior Championships." Max added with a grin."

A hand must have shot up in the back, for the next thing the blonde said was, "Yes, you have a question?"

Kumiko craned her neck to see who had spoken. It turned out to be a guy from the section across the hall. She'd seen his face before – the rather floppy brown hair and dull blue eyes – but she couldn't recall his name. His given name, at least.

"Uh, yeah." The youth grinned sheepishly; he seemed embarrassed, to be frank. "Will _all_ of us be participating?"

"In the Championships?" Takao asked, seeking to verify the query. The brown-haired teen merely nodded.

"Good question." Kyouju piped up. He snapped his laptop shut and reached for a pile of papers. Kumiko guessed the papers were the sign-up sheets that had been distributed earlier. "Thing is, we won' be able to handle _all_ of you; that's why only five will be taken from each class. After that, only four will be chosen from the first forty – there are eight sections, right? Anyway, those four will represent your school in the Junior Championships. By the way, that's why it's called the 'junior championships' – it isn't being held throughout Japan, but only in the Tokyo region."

Another hand shot up. "How will the 'elite four' be chosen, sir?"

"Well, we thought we'd hold a little tournament among you guys." Takao answered, grinning.

"A tournament?"

"The first forty will be divided into two – twenty to a group – and each will be given a corresponding number. The person in the other group who's been assigned the same number as you will be your partner – and opponent."

Rei took over. "The twenty winners will then be divided into four groups – 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B. That means there'll be five participants in a group. This part will be a round robin tournament, meaning you'll each face every other participant in your group. The student – trainee, if you will – with the most points at the end of that part will go on the 'semi-finals'. The winners of each match will face each other in the 'finals'."

"I thought _four_ would be chosen. Why are we still going to have a semi-final and final round?"

"We thought it would be more fun and interesting. Also, we'd be able to see what each one of you is capable of." Max replied.

"Without further ado," Kyouju added. "I will now call the first five participants from each class. When your name is called, please make come to the front of the uh, room."

Slowly, the crowd of seniors grew smaller and smaller as various names were called. Kumiko and Yuujin waited with bated breath. When would _their_ names be called?

"From section 1-A…Fujiwara Kumiko, Itoe Yuujin-"

As soon as they heard their names, Kumiko and Yuujin jumped up and hurried over to join the group at the front. In their excitement, they failed to hear the rest of the names.

Kumiko glanced at the teens that were on either side of her. To her right, though, was an unpleasant surprise. "Mikage?" she whispered hoarsely. "You signed up as well?"

"What if I did, Fujiwara?" The ash blonde, emerald-eyed girl asked haughtily. It can't be denied that ever since the two of them – Kumiko and Mikage Chiaki - had become classmates, every subject became a contest between the two, and so far, Kumiko was 'in the lead'. It seemed that Chiaki was determined to extend the competition to _this_ P.E class.

"…And Shimamoto Taichi." Kyouju finished. A rather tall teenager with coppery brown hair and olive green eyes joined them.

"The rest of you may do anything you wish – run laps, play dodgeball, whatever – as long as you keep busy for the rest of the period." Max informed the rest of the students. The seniors abruptly streamed out of the main doors and out onto the field, relieved to be 'set free' for the rest of the afternoon.

For the second time that day, Kai spoke. "Let's get started then."

* * *

"Follow me." Kai instructed. The 'chosen' seniors glanced at each other bewildered, and then, as a body, followed their crimson-eyed instructor through the rear gym doors. They had already been divided into two groups, as stated earlier, and they had already been assigned a number. However, each one didn't know who their 'opponent' was going to be.

As soon as they crossed the threshold, they stopped short. The storage area of the gym had been transformed into a training room. In the far left corner, there were several exercise bikes and weight-lifting apparatuses. All the way across was what seemed to be a water station – small shelves stacked with hundreds of water bottles. All around the room, beydishes had been set up. In the middle stood a middle-sized platform with a bigger dish. Apparently, that was where the 'semi-finals' and 'finals' would be played.

"This is _so_ cool!" Yuujin whispered excitedly. "We're actually in a Beyblade training room!"

"I know!" Kumiko whispered back. "It would be even better if Mikage weren't here…"

The aqua orbs flashed understandingly. "Yeah. She can be a pain sometimes."

"Okay, listen up, people." Takao called over the excited chatter, which had once again broken out over the group. "When I call a number, please make your way over to the assigned dish. My pals here will guide you."

Nervous, Kumiko could hardly hear the numbers being called. She tried to concentrate on what she had learned so far from her occasional training sessions at her home, to no avail.

"Student Number 8, please come forward."

"Eep!" Yuujin squealed, grabbing Kumiko's hand. "That's me!"

"It's going to be alright, Yuujin-chan," Kumiko said, gently patting her friend's shoulder. "You'll do fine."

"I hope so," Yuujin grinned nervously. "Wish me luck!" she called as she ran off towards Rei, who was waiting with another student – Yuujin's opponent, no doubt.

"I will!"

"Number 9…Number 10…" The group thinned as numbers were called and the students went off to the various dishes in the room. Kumiko was acutely aware of the sound of battle – the whirring of the small, plastic tops, and the highly distinguishable crash and whack of collision.

"…Student Number 12 from Group A, your opponent is waiting." Takao's voice cut through her reverie, and she looked up. Kai stood near the platform and next to him was Tagaki Saburo, a rather boisterous, redheaded classmate of hers. She hurried over and started to apologize for making them wait, but Kai cut her off.

"Enough chitchat. This way." He turned and led them towards a beydish near a window. "Now, both of you will need these," the slate-haired teen said briskly. He reached into a rucksack and brought out two plastic launchers, with the ripcords already in the slots, and two blades, one silver; the other, midnight blue. Saburo chose the silver one. While the teen attached the blade to the launcher, Kai glanced at Kumiko expectantly, holding out the remaining blade to her. That was when the brunette remembered.

"Uh, Hiwatari-_sensei_, may I use _my_ own blade?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"You have a blade?" The slim, slate-gray eyebrow shot up in disbelief. Kumiko nodded, her braids bouncing, as she reached into her pocket. She drew out a commercialized version of Kai's very own Dranzer F and held it up. It was identical in every way, except that the chip was blank where the picture of a bit beast should have been.

Kai studied it for a moment, and then consented. "I suppose you have a launcher as well?"

"I do." Kumiko brought out her silver launcher and ripcord, and fitted her blade to it.

"Very well. On my signal," The two teens faced each other. Saburo held his arms out in front of him, in standard launching position, while Kumiko held hers above her head.

"3…2…1…Go, shoot!"

At the command, Saburo pulled hard on his ripcord, and his blade spun into the stadium. Kumiko swung her arms downward and, at a precise forty-five degree angle to her torso, she yanked the ripcord. _Her_ blade was nothing but a blur as it shot downwards into the stadium.

Unknown to her, Kai had already left the scene and had joined his companions on the platform. "We have a serious trainee here, Kyouju." He informed the bespectacled teen, who was typing away furiously on his laptop.

"What do you mean, Kai?" he said, looking up from his work. Kai merely gestured over to where Kumiko and Saburo were battling.

"The Fujiwara girl?" Takao asked as he changed his sitting position to a more comfortable one. "How can you tell?"

"She brought her own blade and launcher, _and_ she perfected the Fury launch." The crimson-eyed teen replied, placing emphasis on the last part of his reply. He was obviously surprised and pleased that he'd encountered one such student.

"The _Fury_ launch?"Takao jumped up, shocked. "But…but no one's perfected that but _you_, Kai!"

"Until now," Kai said simply.

"You're bluffing."

"I never play games, Kinomiya. You-"

**CRASH!**

"What was that?" Max glanced up abruptly.

"It came from dish 12." Rei replied as he made his way over to the said dish. The other Blade Breakers followed.

"What happened?" Takao asked as soon as he got there.

"My…my blade…it flew out the window." Saburo stammered. "I…I'd better go get it. Please, excuse me." He bowed quickly and ran pell-mell towards the exit.

Kumiko, far from happy that she had defeated Saburo, looked horrified. She glanced quickly at her instructors, then turned to face them. She was also acutely aware that several other students were gazing in _her_ direction.

"I'm sorry, _sensei_," she said. "I had no idea that my attack was _that_ strong, much less that it would cause his blade to break the window. I-"

"Hold your horses there, kid!" Takao clapped a hand on her shoulder, cutting her off. "It's no big deal! Remember, the objective here is to show us how well you blade. Unless, of course, you don't want to compete in the Junior Championships…?"

"I…I do, Kinomiya-_sensei_, but-"

"Exactly!" Takao grinned, attempting to reassure her that it really was all right – no one was hurt or anything. "Anyway, congrats on winning your match!" With that, the blue-haired blader walked back to the platform. Everyone else followed, except for Max, however, stayed behind for a bit. He grinned at Kumiko.

"Do you know that you're the first one to qualify?" he asked, half-whispering.

Kumiko shook her head vigorously. "No, I didn't. Are you…serious?"

Max nodded, grinning wider. "Yup! You're the first to win your match, Fujiwara! Congratulations!" He offered his hand.

Kumiko hesitated a moment, and then took it. "Thank you."

Max smiled instead of replying, and then walked off to join his friends on the platform.

Still shaking inwardly with relief and surprise, Kumiko made her way to the water station. Choosing a random bottle, she opened it and downed the contents. She wasn't thirsty; she just needed something to do. Knowing that she had won against Saburo, with almost no effort on her part, not to mention the fact that she'd been the first trainee to 'qualify' was very shocking news. She hadn't expected her first match to be so _easy_!

_I wonder how Yuujin is doing?_

* * *

"Hah! Take that!" Yuujin exclaimed as her blade knocked against her opponent's, promptly sending it out of the dish.

"Wow. Guess I was wrong…" The rather bookish, hazel-eyed Tadehiko Shun replied, bending down to pick up his fallen blade. "Sorry about that, though…" He added as he stood up.

"That's alright." The auburn-haired girl replied, holding out a hand. "Great battle, Tadehiko-san!"

"Thanks!" He grasped the chipper teen's hand in his own for a brief handshake. "By the way, where'd you learn that cool spiraling defense technique?"

"From my friend Kumiko," Yuujin pointed out Kumiko, who was coming towards them. "Here she comes now."

"Yuujin, how'd you do?" Kumiko asked upon reaching her friend.

"Not too bad," Yuujin replied, grinning. "It took a while, but I finally defeated Tadehiko-san here."

Kumiko turned to see Shun also smiling at her, in an awed sort of way. She held out a hand.

"I'm sorry to hear that you lost your match, Tadehiko-?"

"Shun. Tadehiko Shun." Another handshake. "I'm afraid I don't know your name…"

"It's Fujiwara Kumiko."

"I see…Fujiwara-san, I'd like to ask you something.

"Ask away."

"Nearing the end of our match, Itoe-san used this highly effective defense technique."

"Which one?"

"It was a spiral move, going in a…counterclockwise direction, I think. She later told me that _you_ had taught her that move."

"Oh…" Kumiko looked puzzled. "And…?"

"I was wondering…did you go a special training school or camp?"

"No, I didn't."

"So how did you learn it?"

"Well, it's actually a variation of Hiwatari-_sensei_'s 'Spiral Survivor' technique. He used it during a tournament – I forgot which one, though – which was broadcast on TV."

"You _actually_ decided to try out a _champion_ level move?"

"Uh…yeah. That's about it." Kumiko grinned sheepishly.

"Fujiwara-san…" Shun was smiling very widely now (A/N: freaky smile)."Could we meet later…say, after school?"

"Uh, sure. Why not?"

"Great! I'll meet you at the park, okay?"

"Um…okay, I guess…See you…?"

"Yes!" With that, Shun was off like a shot.

_Probably to change his clothes or something, then come back in and watch other people battle…_ Kumiko thought, shaking her head.

* * *

"Chiaki!" Hazel-haired, brown-eyed Katachi Yuriko ran up to join her best friend at the water station. The emerald-eyed teen whirled around and grinned.

"Yuriko!" she greeted. "How'd it go?"

"Not too hot…" the hazel-haired girl replied, looking downcast for a moment. "I tried to put up a good fight, but…no such luck."

Chiaki put an arm around her friend. "That's okay. You can't win _all_ the time."

"Well, how did yours turn out?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Chiaki smirked good-naturedly. "I won, of course! I beat that shmuck Akuro in around three minutes!" She reached for her water bottle and took a swig. "I bet I was the first one to qualify."

"Er, yeah…about being the first one to qualify…" Yuriko grinned sheepishly. "I passed by the instructors and they were…discussing something."

"What is it they were discussing?"

"Fujiwara-san."

"What about her?" Chiaki took another sip of water.

"Well, Fujiwara-san defeated _her_ opponent in under _two_ minutes."

"_What_?" Chiaki spat out the water she'd just drank. "_Less_ than _two_ minutes?"

"That's what I heard, Chiaki," Yuriko grinned. "And then around a minute after her, Itoe knocked out _her_ opponent, Tadehiko Shun from Class 1-B."

"No way! There must be some catch; Fujiwara can't have won _that_ easily. Same goes for Itoe."

"Well, you can ask Saburo yourself; he was Fujiwara's opponent. Also that Tadehiko Shun guy; I heard he's in the gym right now."

Without another word, Chiaki whirled around and stalked off towards the exit. _Is there _anything_ that annoying Fujiwara _isn't_ good at?_ she thought, more than a little ticked off.

* * *

"Thanks for cooperating, everyone," Kyouju said as he finished encoding the last bit of data onto his laptop. "I know some of you may be disappointed at the results, but hey, that's life, right?" Several students nodded their heads in sullen agreement.

"Now," Max added, "If you'll allow me announce who will be in each block…" Takao handed him a sheet of paper, and the blonde began to read out the list of names.

"In Block 1A: Chitose Mariko, Fujita Takumi, Mikage Chiaki, Aizuki Yukina, and Satou Yoshi; Block 1B: Matsuo Kaito, Tsubakura Haru, Itoe Yuujin, Asukaga Morita, and Ryuzaki Kazuma; Block 2A: Fujiwara Kumiko, Oniki Yuka, Mamoru Kouji, Yoshikuni Akito, and Hamano Taichou; and finally, Block 2B: Fujita Taiki, Makino Rika, Setsuno Yuki, Ryota Katsumi, and Shimamoto Taichi."

"Phew! That's a mouthful!" Takao commented. "Anyway, students, since were clear out of time right now, this next part will take place tomorrow – same time, same place, all right? Those of you who were eliminated may also join us, if you like. While the matches are going on, I'm sure that any one of us who is free at that point in time will be glad to train you. Otherwise, spend this period doing whatever it is you want to do, as long as its related to P.E."

"Also, it has come to our attention that there are already several among you who have bladed before, but only as a hobby," Rei added. "So tomorrow, you may bring your own Beyblade if you like. If there aren't any questions…class dismissed."

* * *

"You _what_?" Kumiko exclaimed, a little flattered and more than a little shocked. She and Yuujin had gone directly to the park after school. Both were not exactly calm after learning what Shun wanted.

"Please, just _one_ match? It's for my blader archives." Shun explained, hitting several keys on his X-2006 series laptop. "Rather, what _will_ be my blader archives." He looked up and grinned, sheepish. "See, Fujiwara-san, you'll be the first one to have a profile."

"C'mon, Kumiko, just do it!" Yuujin encouraged.

"Oh, all right…" Kumiko sighed. "What do I have to do?"

* * *

"What do you mean by Dranzer acted 'strange'?" Rei asked, throwing the slate-haired teen a puzzled glance.

"Well, lets just say she reacted to what happened during Fujiwara and Tagaki's match. The split-second before we heard the glass breaking, my blade just started…vibrating in my pocket."

"What?" Max exclaimed, spilling some of his smoothie over his shirt. "That's what happened to me, too!"

"Huh?" Takao looked up from his sundae.

"Draciel seemed…excited about something when Shimamoto Taichi won _his_ match. I happened to walk by just in time to see him knock his opponent out of the dish. He also started to vibrate."

"Are you guys serious?" Kyouju asked, flipping open his laptop in order to record what they were saying. "Your blades _reacted_ to several trainees?"

"Yeah. I felt Driger do that at the outset of Matsuo Kaito's battle…" Rei began.

"And Dragoon did the same thing when I saw Chiaki win hers…" Takao finished, his mouth agape. Inadvertently, he dropped his spoon, but he didn't seem to care.

For around five minutes, there was silence.

"…Wow." Max said, overwhelmed that they had all experienced the same thing at some point during the session.

"Wonder what it means, though…" Kyouju looked thoughtful. The bespectacled teen stood up. "Well, I'm going home. I may be able to find something that will explain all of this. See you guys."

"See you, Chief!" Takao called after the teen's retreating figure, but the auburn-haired teen didn't seem to hear. He was wrapped up in his own thoughts.

_All four bit beasts responded in the same way to _four_ different trainees? This can't be good… _

* * *

A/N: Yay! Another chapter done!

Mei: _Yatta_!

Me: ahem Anyway, I won't bore you any longer -

Aki: Thank the gods...

Me: so...read and review, onegaishimasu! Peace out!


	3. Chapter 2: Preview to the Finals

A/N: Yay! I got the 2nd chapter up! applauds self Sorry, I'm feelin' hyper today...my personality doesn't seem to match my name at all! Hehe...;

Mei: I was really sad when Hikari told me that no one reviewed yet...sniff

Me: It's okay, Mei...someone will review, sometime...I think...

Aki: hmph Fat chance...

Me: Shut up, Aki!

Aki: Not _that_'s the Hikari _I_ know...

Me: Whatever...rolls eyes

Disclaimer: Me: I do not own Beyblade; only the OCs and the new beyblade...

Mei: Enjoy! kitty-cat smile

**Chapter 2: Preview to the Finals**

"Oh, I'm so nervous!" Yuujin murmured as she pulled out her midnight blue Beyblade, along with its red launcher and ripcord. It was the next day; she and Kumiko were the last ones in the locker room. They didn't want other students to see their blades – just in case.

"Don't worry, Yuujin-chan!" Kumiko reassured her friend. She adjusted the strap to her tank top. "You'll do fine! I doubt a lot of our companions are serious bladers, anyway."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I'm not _that_ sure…"

"Oh…!"

Suddenly, the PA system blared. "_Participants, please make your way to the gymnasium's training room._"

"C'mon, lets go…" Kumiko tugged at her friend's wrist, already itching to begin.

"Wait! I forgot my good-luck charm!" the aqua-eyed girl hung back a moment, rummaging in her bag. Presently she brought out a small trinket – a tiny skull-and-crossbones charm dangled from the end of the silver chain. Kumiko watched as the auburn-haired teen slipped it onto a belt loop.

"I didn't know you like skull-and-crossbones icons, Yuujin…"

"I just going to scare my opponents – make them think I'm serious."

"Whatever…" the amethyst-eyed girl rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Now come _on_!"

* * *

"Everyone present and accounted for?" Kyouju looked up, doing a mental roll call. After a few moments, he turned to his laptop and punched a few keys. "We're off to a good start; everyone's here."

"Nice to see you guys had enough sense to bring proper workout gear." Takao commented. Every student had dressed in shirts and loose pants. He leaned over to one student – Tsubakura Haru – and whispered loudly, "Kai here is a real slave-driver…"

"You _do_ know I can hear you, Kinomiya…" Kai piped up, causing the stormy-eyed teen to stiffen.

"Oops…" he whispered, then straightened up. "Okay, let's get this party started, people!" he exclaimed loudly, abruptly changing the subject. "Rei, will you do the honors?"

The neko-jin grinned, then held up a sheet of paper. "Right. You all still remember which block you belong to?" he asked. There was a chorus of yeses, causing him to grin again. "Good. Then I won't have to read out this list again. Anyway, when I call your block, please follow Max, Kai, or Kyouju; any of the three will lead you to a specific dish, where the 'block eliminations' will begin. Understood?"

"_Hai_!" the students chorused once more.

"All right. Block 1A students?"

Five students moved out of the small group. Max stood waiting for them, grinning excitedly.

"This way, guys!" he said, beckoning them forward. Kumiko watched as the five were lead to a dish at the far side of the room; she disregarded the dirty look Chiaki shot at her.

"Block 1B students, please follow Kyouju!" Rei called. Yuujin let out a small 'eep' and squeezed Kumiko's hand. The raven-haired girl shook her head and placed a hand around her friend's shoulder.

"Go on, girl! Show them just _who_ is boss!"

"Thanks, Kumiko…" Yuujin smiled back and ran off to join _her_ block.

"Block 2A students, go with Kai!" Rei instructed.

As soon as the five students assembled in front of him, the crimson-eyed teen did a head count and then led them to a dish situated near the center platform. Kumiko concentrated so hard on the upcoming session that she barely heard Rei call for the last five students.

"You are all familiar with round-robin tournaments, correct?" Kai asked as he set up a small, portable chalkboard. All five teens nodded their heads. "Good, that saves us time." Kai said approvingly. "Now, I've been instructed to choose – through random selection – the first two students who will compete with each other. But before I do, do all of you have your own blades?" Only Yoshikuni Akito – a tall and lanky teen with gingery hair and dull green eyes – shook answered 'no'. This reply was met with consternation. Wordlessly, Kai reached into his satchel and took out a blue-green blade, a white launcher and ripcord. Smiling sheepishly Akito took the proffered items – profusely thanking their 'mentor' and, at the same time, apologizing for the 'oversight'.

"_If _you're done _blabbing_," Kai said, his quiet voice hinting at irritation, "we can get started." He glared at Akito. "Yoshikuni."

"_H-hai_?" The teen's voice was filled with trepidation.

"You shall go first-"

"_Me_!"

"-Against Fujiwara."

"Wha-?" Kumiko's head jerked up at the sound of her name. She hadn't been paying attention to what was happening; in fact, she had been watching Chiaki's match rather intently (their dish was quite close to that of Block 1A).

"Fujiwara, step up to the dish." Kai said simply. "You will go against Yoshikuni."

"I…very well, _sensei_." The brunette sighed and approached the dish. Slowly, she took out her launcher and ripcord, and then attached _her_ Dranzer F to it. Behind her, she heard Oniki Yuka and Hamano Taichou – students from Class 1-D – 'conferring'.

"She bought a Dranzer F!" Taichou was saying.

"Yeah, well, it's a store-bought version," Yuka replied, not bothering to keep his voice down. "It might not fare very well."

"Well, she might have customized it, you know…"

"Still, there's less than a 2 percent chance that it will have the same power as the real thing…"

Kumiko rolled her eyes in irritation, and then grinned good-naturedly at Akito. "Good luck," she said, extending a hand. Akito smiled back nervously. The two bladers shook hands, and then took their positions.

* * *

"Mikage wins again!" Max exclaimed, writing down the points on the scoreboard. Team BBA had decided to adopt the knockout-outlast scoring system – that is, a tie equaled 1 point; spinning longer than the opponent, 2 points; and knocking out the opponent, 3 points. So far, only three out of the five students had battled, and the score was: Chitose Mariko with seven points; Fujita Takumi, three; and Chiaki, six. The team had also decided that, aside from doing a round robin, they would also employ the knockout system, with a few changes. For instance, just as in a real knockout match, the player who lost would return to his or place, but they could be called to the dish again later if the current player hadn't battled with them yet. This gave everyone a fair shot at recovering lost points.

"Fujita, please approach the dish," the hyperactive teen said, taking his place near the dish as well.

Fujita, a rather stocky male, grinned and took his position opposite Chiaki, who just smirked and reattached her blade to the launcher. _This is going to be a piece of cake…_she thought. _I just need to get past these losers, and then the sorry idiot who somehow from Block 1B. And then…Fujiwara, you'd better look out!_

* * *

"Itoe wins!" Kyouju was barely able to contain his excitement. He'd just seen a rather spectacular display of Beyblading. In the previous match, Yuujin had effortlessly knocked out her opponent, Matsuo Kaito, _twice_! "Well, you're rather serious about blading, aren't you?" he asked, glancing directly at the aqua-eyed girl.

"I'm not _that_ good, _sensei_…" she murmured, looking down at her shoes.

"Well, that doesn't matter. Please, take your position." Kyouju adjusted his glasses, and then peered at the chalkboard. So far, as with Block 1A, only three students had battled. The score: Matsuo Kaito with five points; Tsubakura Haru, three; Yuujin, six. _Who should I call next?_ Kyouju pondered his choices, and then shrugged.

"Asukaga, you're next."

* * *

"Well, that was…unexpected." Rei fumbled for words to describe the match he'd just seen. He was put in charge of overseeing the matches for Block 2B, and so far, the first student he'd chosen – Fujita Taiki – had beaten his first two opponents. Rei especially liked the last battle, where Taiki had employed a feinting strategy, luring his opponent to attack him directly. He knew that move; he'd used it often enough, and he knew that it was 99 percent effective.

The neko-jin glanced at the scoreboard; early on in the block eliminations, and this student was showing promise. Taiki had 11 points; Makino Rika, two; and Setsuno Yuki, three. He grinned, and then called up the next opponent.

"Ryota Katsumi, please step up to the dish!"

* * *

"Good battle." Kumiko commented. She had just finished her match with Yuka. Though she tried not to show it, she personally enjoyed trashing the mousy-haired girl's blade to bits.

Kai glanced at the scoreboard. _This Fujiwara is good…_he thought, noting that out of six rounds – three rounds to a match – she'd only had _one_ loss. Her match against Yuka had been…intense, to say the least. Kumiko won _all_ the rounds in that one, and during the last round, she'd broken her opponent's blade's attack ring!

The eighteen year old ran a hand through his hair, pushing a few stray strands from in front of his eyes. "Fujiwara, why don't you take a break? Oniki, stay where you are. You'll be battling against Mamoru next."

"_Sensei_, my blade…" Yuka started to protest.

"There are several spare parts in that bag," Kai interrupted, indicating the bag from which he'd taken out the blade Akito had used. "Now make it quick."

"Yes, sir…" Yuka dug through the contents of the bag until she found an attack ring that suited her. She quickly replaced the broken attack ring for the one she found, and then got into position. Across from her, Mamoru Kouji grinned at her and did the same.

Kai glanced at each one to make sure they were ready. "On my signal…"

* * *

"Fujiwara-san!"

Kumiko whirled around to find Shun making his way over to her excitedly.

"Tadehiko-san?" She was confused. What was _doing_ here? "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Kumiko – is it okay if I call you Kumiko?" cutting himself off.

The amethyst-eyed teen smiled. "Of course it's okay, Tadehiko-san…"

"Please, just call me 'Shun'," the bespectacled teen smiled back, and then quickly flipped open his laptop. "I just wanted to tell you that that last match you had against Oniki was _great_!" he exclaimed. He punched in something on the keyboard, and then a file began to play on the screen. Kumiko's eyes grew wide.

"You actually _recorded _that?" she fairly screeched.

"Of course I did. I need it for the archive!" Shun replied, grinning widely now. I also got one of your friend, Yuujin. She's doing pretty well, too!"

"Well, that's a relief…" Kumiko sighed at hearing the good news. "But why are you taking videos, anyway?"

"It helps the research process." Shun said as he opened another file, which turned out to be Kumiko's own profile. "See, I've installed something into my laptop that helps me analyze a blade's spin power; offensive, defensive, and endurance capabilities; and weaknesses. So if I record one match and the name of the blader is on-file, _that_ info is sent directly to the file, so the next time the blader has a match, I can see if he or she has made any improvement."

"Okay…so, any bladers I should look out for?"

Shun frowned as he thought for a moment, and then opened up _another _blader profile. "I'm not sure if you should look out for her because of her blading capabilities, but you _should_ be careful around her. I heard she's-"

"Wait a minute! _Her_?"

"Yeah. Mikage Chiaki – one of your classmates. I overheard her mumbling something about 'showing Fujiwara who's boss'. You're the only Fujiwara who has made it this far in the program, so I figured she meant you."

"Right. So what are her stats?"

"I'll show you." Shun tilted the laptop so that Kumiko could read what was onscreen.

"Hmm…Attack: three stars; Defense: two stars; and Endurance: two stars. Not too shabby…" she commented, leaning back against the wall.

"You think those stats are good; compare them with Yuujin's, then to yours."

"Alright. Why not?" The raven-haired teen pulled the appliance towards her, scanned the (rather short) list of bladers who had a profile until she spotted her friend's.

"Attack: three stars; Defense: one star; Endurance: two stars. Pretty normal, if you ask me." Once more, she chose her profile. Almost at once, her jaw dropped. "That…that's not possible!" she exclaimed, nearly dropping the apparatus.

"Watch it!" Shun warned, reaching for the laptop in case it _really_ fell.

"Are you_ sure _that the analyzer thing you installed in this is _accurate_?" Kumiko asked. She'd nearly lost it when she read her stats – Attack: four stars; Defense: three stars; Endurance: four stars. "_No way_ could those be for real!"

Shun chuckled at the expression on the girl's face. "You bet those are real! And I assure you, the analyzer I installed is accurate; it _is_ the latest version after all. Why are you surprised at your stat readings, anyway?"

"I had _no_ idea that they were _that_ high!" Kumiko answered. "_Those_ are _my_ stats? You can't be serious!"

"Calm down, Kumiko. Yes, those are your stats. I got them from the battle we recorded in the park, and from the match I recorded today." He grinned sheepishly. "I still have to get some more readings, though, if I want to make sure that they're final."

"I hope they _aren't_!" Kumiko murmured. "It's really nice, though, to know that you've got a fairly balanced blade…" she added as an afterthought.

"Fujiwara!" The raven-haired head jerked up.

"Uh, oh! Gotta go!" she said, getting up from her spot on the floor and then making her way over to Kai – he was the one who'd called her.

Shun stared after her, and then slowly got up. _Wonder who I'll record next?_

* * *

"Guys, settle down!" Max called over the din in the gymnasium. Around six minutes ago, the round-robin part of the 'tournament' had ended. The five teens had asked five of the participants to call the rest of the seniors into the gym for the announcing of the four trainees who had made it to the 'semi-finals', while they themselves had stayed to tally the scores. Thankfully, they finished tallying by the time the seniors began to arrive.

"We're about to announce the four semi-finalists, people!" Takao added. That did it; when they heard 'semi-finalists' the whole senior group quieted down. They did _not_ want to miss a word of this.

Kyouju sighed in relief, and then pressed something on his laptop. Suddenly, the wall in front lit up, and twenty photos – of the twenty participants – could be seen. "These," Kyouju began, straining to make his voice loud enough to be heard, "are the twenty trainees who made it to second round of the tournament."

"However, only four of them are eligible for the semi-final round." Rei added, joining his friend up front. "We called you here because as soon as the announcements are over, we're going to go directly to the semi-finals, and we thought it would be nice if your classmates or friends had someone to cheer them on."

"Just announce them already!" Someone from the back called.

"Okay!" Max cheerfully agreed. He nodded to Kyouju, who pressed something once more. At once, the pictures rearranged themselves by block. "I'll be announcing the final scores of everyone from each block. If you were unable to catch it, just glance at the, uh, screen in front of you; it'll be displayed there." He took a deep breath…

"Block 1A: Chitose-" he began, but was cut off by a light burst of clapping, which quickly died down. The blonde smiled good-naturedly and began again. "Chitose – 16 points; Fujita Takumi – 15 points; Mikage – 18 points; Aizuki – 17 points; and Satou – 12 points!"

The whole group burst into polite applause; at the far right side of the group however, Kumiko could see several of her classmates – specifically, Chiaki's close friends – going wild. _Well, why wouldn't they be happy? Mikage made it, after all…_she thought.

"Quiet, people! We're not yet done!" He glanced down at the sheet again. "Block 1B: Matsuo – 19 points; Tsubakura – 13 points; Itoe – 16 points; Asukaga – 14 points; and Ryuzaki – 13 points!" Once more there was applause, and Max waited for it to die down. "Block – huh?" he stopped suddenly when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He whirled around to see Kai standing behind him. "Kai? What is it?"

"I think you'd better announce the results from Block 2B first," he said quietly. The blue-eyed teen looked confused at first, but then his face brightened.

"Oh, yeah!" he said as he realized what Kai was getting at. "Well, as per our captain's orders, the results from Block 2A will have to wait, so…Block 2B: Fujita Taiki – 15 points; Makino – 15 points; Setsuno – 11 points; Ryota – 17 points; and – are you guys ready for this? – Shimamoto…_21 _points!"

The whole gymnasium burst into applause. The same person who had previously talked out of turn commented again: "Yeah! That's the highest score so far! You go, Taichi!" It was apparent that the floppy-haired, olive-eyed teen was a classmate of his.

Once more, Max waited for the noise to die down. He didn't have to wait long; they quieted down almost immediately. "Now, what I'm about to read might shock you guys – I know, 'cause we were shocked, too! – but I'd like to urge you to keep your reactions to a minimum." The group remained silent.

"And the results for Block 2A…Hamano – nine points; Yoshikuni – 14 points; Mamoru – 17 points; Oniki – 14 points; and Fujiwara…_29 _points!"

At that, all the seniors, especially those from Class 1-A, went wild. They had a good reason to – _two_ of their classmates had become semi-finalists. Yuujin flung her arms around her friend, crying, "_Yatta!_ You did it, Kumiko! You got in!"

Kumiko smiled self-consciously. "It was nothing, Yuujin…I-"

Takao overheard her and cut in. "What do you mean, _nothing_?" he asked, incredulous. "That's the highest score anyone in this training program could have. Considering that 36 is the maximum number of points you could earn in this case, I'd say you're doing very well!"

"I…th-thank you, sir…" Kumiko blushed, embarrassed at being singled out like this.

"Who's your trainer?" Takao asked just then.

"Huh?"

"Who trained you, kid? It _has_ to be someone good, like my bro; otherwise you wouldn't be _this _talented-"

"I don't have a trainer, _sensei_."

Takao's jaw went slack. "You…you _don't _have a trainer?" he sputtered. He forgot to keep his voice down, so the group overheard.

"Who doesn't have a trainer?" One of the students whispered to a friend, who shrugged.

"Kinomiya-sensei was talking to Fujiwara when he said that, so he _could_ be referring to her."

"_Sugoi…_"

"So…how'd you manage to get so good without a trainer?" Takao was asking.

"Um…I…" Kumiko kept her gaze towards the floor; she felt reluctant to give out any more information that would just attract _more_ attention to her. Yuujin squeezed her hand and gave her a tiny smile. "I…train by myself, sir, but I make it a point to watch any Beyblade matches – especially when its showing your team – so I can get some pointers."

"Well…you just keep up the good work, Fujiwara." The stormy-eyed teen grinned at her, and then walked off to join his friends.

"Students, please go into the back room. That's where the semi-finals will take place." Kyouju instructed even as he gathered up his materials. Chattering noisily once more, the seniors stood up as a body and went into said room.

"C'mon, Kumiko!" Yuujin urged. "Let's go!"

"All…all right…" Kumiko assented, allowing her over-eager friend to half-drag her back into the 'stadium'.

* * *

"I still can't see how they moved stuff around so quickly…" Shimamoto Taichi mumbled. All around them, the smaller dishes had disappeared and where replaced with benches and (for those who didn't want to share…!) stools. Only the larger dish and platform remained.

"I agree." Matsuo Kaito came up and sat down beside him on the bench. "I guess they had workers waiting, and that the dishes weren't attached permanently to the floor."

"That's possible…" the copper-haired teen said, staring off into space.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Kaito said suddenly, a small grin playing across his lips.

"What?" Taichi glanced at his companion.

"I mean Fujiwara-san," Kaito gestured towards her with a jerk of his head. Kumiko, who was still talking to Yuujin, had her back to them.

"Y'mean how she got only _seven_ points less than the maximum number of points?" Taichi smiled. "Yeah, it _is_ pretty neat. Wonder how she did it, though…"

"I also noticed something," the chocolate brown-haired teen added, frowning slightly.

"What is it, Matsuo-san?"

"It's Kaito, Shimamoto-san. I'm not comfortable with people my own age who call me by my last name…"

"I see…well, what is it you noticed, Kaito?"

"Well, I saw Mikage…Chiaki, I think her name was…anyway, I saw the look on her face when Mizuhara-sensei announced, Fujiwara-san's score. She didn't seem too…happy about that. Strange how she reacted, especially since they're classmates."

"Well, I've news for you, bud." Taichi grinned. "I've got a friend who's a classmate of theirs. He says that ever since the school year started, Mikage's started a 'competition' with Fujiwara. It isn't official, but everyone in the class knows about it."

"Why does Mikage want to compete with Fujiwara?" Kaito looked puzzled. "Fujiwara's a nice girl."

"Yeah, she is. Everyone from that class always mentions how she's helpful and friendly, though a bit on the anti-social side. As far as anyone knows, she only has one close friend in the class – Itoe Yuujin."

"Okay…I still don't see why Mikage's out to get her."

"Well, Fujiwara's…been getting on her nerves, so I hear. It seems that Fujiwara comes out on top, in every subject."

"Consistent top-notcher, huh?"

"You wouldn't believe _how _consistent." Taichi rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Get this. In the finals last quarter, Fujiwara was the top scorer on every exam, except for Mathematics, where she ranked third-"

"Well, at least its not monotonous."

"And Mikage ranked fifth."

"Oh."

"Anyway, Mikage's determined to break her 'winning streak'."

"Wow." The teal blue-eyed teen let out a low whistle. "Isn't she going overboard?"

"Well, some people are like that, I suppose…" Taichi said, directing his gaze towards the platform at the center.

Suddenly, all the lights dimmed, and a spotlight seemed to appear from out of nowhere and shone down on the platform. Takao, who, apparently, had appointed himself as 'official' commentator for the round, was standing on the platform.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" he began, copying DJ Jazzman – commentator for the BBA – perfectly. "I know you guys are itching to get started, so I'll get straight to the point. For the first match, we have the winners of Block 1A and Block 1B going at each other!" The spotlight moved to the sidelines, where the four semi-finalists were waiting.

"Let's welcome…Mikage Chiaki and Matsuo Kaito!" The group burst into applause.

Kaito stood up. "Well, here goes nothing…" he murmured, reaching into his pocket and taking out a silver-gray blade.

"_Gambatte!_" Taichi called after him when he was halfway to the stage. Kaito looked back, his teal eyes reflecting the glare of the spotlight, and he flashed a thumbs-up.

"Bladers, take your positions!"

* * *

"No way!" Kyouju exclaimed as he finished an article he'd just found via the Internet. He scanned the writing again.

_Usually, the bit beast is an heirloom, and it stays with its master until said master passes away, or is unable to wield the beast any longer. There is an exception to this rule, though, wherein the beast chooses its next master even though the current one is still alive and can still wield the beast himself or herself. When that happens, it is usually signaled by strange behavior on the bit beast's part. This may be in the form of defiance, or by simply not responding to commands, but the most common sign that the beast is ready to move on is an unexplained reaction to a certain blader._

Kyouju sighed. _Maybe the guys were just imagining things…_he thought. Deep inside, though, he knew that each member of Team BBA was serious yesterday when they shared the strange actions of their beasts.

_But how can I tell them…?_

* * *

"Whoa! Talk about fiery!" Takao exclaimed. Center stage, Chiaki had just knocked Kaito's blade out of the dish. "This girl's not just hot; she's _blazing_!"

"Cool attack!" Kaito exclaimed as he retrieved his blade from behind the platform. "I didn't see _that_ one coming!"

"Thank you for the compliment." Chiaki replied, smirking. "Can you just get back here? I want to finish the match as soon as possible; my feet are killing me!"

Kaito shrugged. "All right…" He mounted the steps to the dish once more and reattached his blade to his launcher.

"And so ends the second round, boys and girls," Takao was saying. "Chiaki wins this round, putting her and Kaito at 1 win each. Whoever wins this next round is going to go through to the finals!"

The 'audience' cheered once more, and several whoops of "You're the man, Kaito!" and "Go, Chiaki!" could be heard.

"Bladers ready? 3…2…1…Go, shoot!"

Chiaki's white blade shot directly into the center of the dish, while Kaito's gray one zigzagged along the sloping walls for a few minutes before heading towards its opponent.

"Attack!" Kaito commanded. His blade circled round the dish for a while, and then swooped in for the kill.

Chiaki smirked. At the last possible moment, before the blades could connect, Chiaki's blade pulled out, and Kaito's hit the wall and bounced back into the center.

"Nice evasion tactic for Chiaki there," Takao commented, grinning. Even _he_ was getting worked up. "Kaito doesn't seem to happy about that."

In the sidelines, Kumiko sighed as she got up. _This is going to take awhile…_she thought wearily. She leaned over to Yuujin.

"I'm going to take a walk to get my thoughts together." She whispered. The aqua-eyed girl didn't even turn from the match – she was _that_ wrapped up in it.

"Just make sure you get back in time for _your_ match," Yuujin cautioned. "I know you wouldn't want to be disqualified for non-attendance."

"Yeah, don't worry…" Kumiko smiled softly. As quickly as possible, she made her way to the exit and went out, making sure that the door didn't squeak as it swung shut.

As soon as she was out in the open, she breathed a sigh of relief; as far as she knew, no one had seen her go out.

She couldn't have been more wrong.

* * *

Kai heaved a sigh. _Where is she off to?_ He'd spotted Kumiko sneaking out of the gym. He glanced around, and, when he was sure no one could see him, quickly made his way to the door. Through the glass panels, he saw her exiting the gym. Quickly he followed her.

_What is she doing out here? _he wondered, peering between the leaves of a rather large bush situated at the side of the runner's track.

Kumiko was out on the field, which was smack beside the gym. _She should be – _"Augh!" Kumiko's dark blue blade came slashing through the branches, missing him by _inches_.

"Who's there?" Kumiko called out, running over towards the bush. Kai quickly stood up.

"What are you doing out here, Fujiwara?" he asked sternly. Kumiko stopped short; he had seemingly come from nowhere!

"Hi…Hiwatari-_sensei_!" she exclaimed.

"You didn't answer my question." Kai leaned closer. "Why are you here? You were supposed to stay inside the gymnasium. You could have hit someone with your blade."

"I…I got bored inside, sir, and thought that I might train outside-"

"No exceptions, Fujiwara." Kai stated simply, handing over her blade.

"_Arigatou gozaimasu_, _sensei…_" she said, staring down at her feet. _Caught by an instructor! _She groaned inwardly. _Now I'm going to get it…_

"Come on. I'll escort you back inside."

Kumiko looked up at him, puzzled. _Huh? _Kai glanced at her.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked. "It's nearly your turn."

"Ah…_h-hai_…" Kumiko averted her gaze and started to walk towards the gym doors.

* * *

"What an exciting finish, ladies and gentlemen!" Takao shouted over the applause. "What an unexpected turn of events! Chiaki wins this round, and she goes on to the finals!"

The noise got even louder.

"Let's not forget to give a round of applause for Kaito's valiant effort! Let's give him a hand, everybody!"

"What happened?" Kumiko asked as she sat back down next to Yuujin. The auburn-haired teen glanced up.

"You should have seen it!" she exclaimed, grinning excitedly. "Matsuo's blade was hammering in on Mikage's, and she just seemed to keep on taking it! And then Matsuo did this high-flying move that we thought would finish Mikage for sure, only at the last time, she dodged out of the way. Then she drove up the slope and slammed down on _him_. It sent him crashing out of the stadium!"

"Really?" Kumiko looked surprised. "I didn't know Mikage was capable of that…"

"Well, she's obviously been hiding it…" Yuujin replied. "But you're still the best blader _I_ know!" she gave her friend a _huge_ smile.

"Thanks, Yuujin…" the raven-haired teen smiled back.

"And now, boys and girls!" Takao was shouting. "The second match for the semi-finals! The two highest-scoring trainees will battle it out against each other for the last spot in the finals! Give it up for…Shimamoto Taichi!"

There was more applause as the 'spotlight' swung over to the left side of the platform, where Taichi ascended the steps. He glanced over to a spot in the audience, grinned, and waved; it was obvious his classmates were seated there.

"And from Block 2A…Fujiwara Kumiko!"

Almost immediately, the entire gym seemed to explode into vigorous applause. Kumiko winced inwardly (A/N: she hates publicity, remember?), and then mounted the stairs to the platform.

Taichi held up a hand. "Congrats on getting the highest score, Fujiwara-san!" he said.

"Thank you." Kumiko took it in a firm grip. "Oh, and best of luck for the upcoming battle," she added, with a slight smile. Taichi started back; the smile she had just given was unnerving, as was the strange glint in her eyes.

Kai was seated with the rest of Team BBA, when he felt Dranzer vibrate again in his pocket. He looked up just in time to see Kumiko and Taichi shake hands. He _also_ saw the strange look that came over the amethyst-eyed teen's face. _What's her deal?_ His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"Bladers ready?" Takao asked, glancing from Taichi to Kumiko. Both teens had just finished attaching their respective blades to their launchers.

"Let's just get this over with…" Taichi mumbled. He wanted to finish the match as quickly as possible – the look Kumiko had given him had unnerved him quite a bit.

"Ready." Kumiko replied.

"All right! On my count…3…"

Kumiko's grip tensed, and she narrowed her eyes in concentration. Across the dish, Taichi was also focusing, evident from the hard look on his face.

"2…1…Go, shoot!"

Both bladers pulled on their ripcords, and the blades simultaneously shot into the stadium. They circled each other for a while, and then Kumiko's blue blade shot forward and slammed into Taichi's, effectively knocking it out of the stadium.

Immediately after, silence descended quickly on the audience. Everyone was too stunned at what had happened.

"Looks like Kumiko made the first move, folks!" Takao exclaimed after a few minutes, having been the first to collect his wits. "And what power! Taichi was slammed out of the game!"

The crowd clapped and cheered its approval.

"Whoa…" Kaito mumbled.

"What a move!" Taichi commented as he knelt down and picked up his blade. "Where'd you learn that?" There was a _click _as the launcher gripped the small top.

"A good blader _never_ reveals their secrets," Kumiko said, grinning slightly. She, too, attached her blade to her launcher.

"Time for the second round, people!" Takao said, sensing his cue. "Bladers, on my mark…3…"

"This time, I know what to expect!" Taichi called over the din caused by the audience.

"Don't be too sure of yourself, Shimamoto!" Kumiko replied.

"1…Go, shoot!"

Once more, the two blades were mere blurs as they sped into the stadium. This time, Taichi launched an all-out attack on Kumiko's blade, forcing it up the slope towards the rim.

"Ha! You actually think _that_ will work?" Kumiko asked, a strange grin on her face.

In the stands, Shun noticed the change of personality in the amethyst-eyed teen. "Does this usually happen when she's battling?" he asked, leaning towards Yuujin, who shrugged.

"Dunno. I've never seen her like this…" she muttered, half to herself.

"Dranzer F, attack!" The blue blade obediently shot forward. At the last moment, Taichi's blade swung out to the side, while Kumiko's kept going. It slammed against the opposite slope and bounced back into the middle, wobbling slightly. Taichi grinned.

"Gotcha! Draei, attack!"

There was a sharp _thwack!_ as the green Draei blade slammed forcefully against the blue, and it was all over.

"Amazing!" Takao was saying. "Looks like Taichi still had some tricks up his sleeve! Kumiko has _got_ to be steaming after _that_ battle!"

"Hmph. She had it coming to her…" Chiaki - who was seatedsomewhere near the back - sneered. "We'llsoonsee who the _real_ champion is, Fujiwara…"

Yuriko turned around; apparently, she had overheard Chiaki's words. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"Aaa…_nandemo na, _Yuriko-chan…" Chiaki replied, grinning. "I was just…thinking out loud, that's all."

"Oh, okay…" Yuriko turned her attention back towards the center stadium.

"All right, folks! It's time for the third round! Whoever wins this round will battle Chiaki in the finals! So bladers, give it _all_ _you've got_!"

The 'crowd' applauded again, and some students took to calling out the name of their favorite blader.

Kumiko shook herself mentally as she retrieved her blade. _This is it, Kumiko…the deciding round…_She straightened up and placed her blade on the launcher. On the opposite side, Taichi was doing the same.

"Ready?" Takao glanced at them; both of them nodded that they were. Kumiko raised her arms above her head.

_The Fury launch…_Kai realized. _She's getting serious…_

"Don't think you'll get away with that trick again!" Kumiko warned, her eyes narrowing as she concentrated.

"3…"

"Don't worry, I won't!" Taichi grinned. His grip on the ripcord tightened.

"2…1…Go, shoot!"

Taichi's blade shot towards the center.

"Go!" Kumiko exclaimed as she swung her arms down forcefully and, at the precise moment, yanked on the ripcord. The force of the launch sent her blade ricocheting off the slopes of the dish several times, but its spin didn't decrease. On its last ricochet of the left-hand slope, it passed Taichi's blade, however, and knocked it aside. Now Kumiko's blade was spinning in the center.

"Kumiko's getting serious," Takao announced. "That launch was a _powerful_ one!"

"_Gambatte, _Kumiko-_chan_!" Yuujin yelled, standing up in her seat. Kumiko turned towards her, grinned and flashed a thumbs-up.

"Hey, Fujiwara!" Taichi called from the other side of the stadium. "You'd better keep an eye on your blade!"

"Huh?" Kumiko glanced back at the dish; instantly a look of horror creased her features. Taichi's blade was continuously knocking into hers, sending it up the slope towards the rim.

"No! Dranzer F, go for it!" she commanded. The blue blade responded instantly, pushing back at Taichi's light green blade with as much force as it could muster.

"Looks like your momentum's worn down," Taichi commented. "Look!" Sure enough, the blue one was wobbling slightly now, but it delivered a powerful blow to the green, nearly sending it out of the dish.

"But it can still kick butt!" Kumiko added. She wasn't smiling now; only grim determination could be read in the purple orbs. As if for added emphasis, her blade started incessantly attacking Taichi's, in what seemed a desperate bid for victory.

"Oh, yeah?" Taichi asked, also getting into the game. "Try this on for size! Draei! Whirlpool Crush!"

"_Whirlpool Crush_?" Kumiko half-chuckled in indignation. "What kind of attack is _that_?" Once more, to prove her point, her blade veered out of the line of attack and dealt out one of its _own_ attacks. Taichi, however, didn't let _this _slide past.

Kumiko's eyes widened as she watched, in slow motion, as Taichi's blade reversed its counterclockwise circle around the dish, knocking _her_ blade sky-high.

Kumiko's eyes widened in shock.

* * *

A/N: Another cliffie! I seem to be doing that a lot lately...

Aki: Doesn't every writer do that?

Me: Well, I usually like to leave a chapter _finished_, especially in Beybattles, in which case I announce the winner of that certain match. Here I decided to make an exception. Anyway..._minna_, I'll be trying my best to have the next chapter for 'Revelation' up next week, and also the third chapter for _this_ story...

Mei: In the meantime, R&R, okay? _Arigatou!_

Me: Peace out!


	4. Chapter 3: The Final Test

A/N: I'm back! Just like I promised, the third chapter!

Mei: Omedetou! You got it up in one week! Yihii!

Aki: So? She did the same thing at first with 'Revelation'...for the first few chapters...

Me: Don't be like that, Aki-chan...I got a little busy around the time I was writing the eighth chapter. In all the hubbub, I misplaced my story notes - and I can't write without those! I get confused sometimes...

Aki: Whatever...rolls eyes

Mei:Can we thankthe reviewernow?

Me: Okies! A VERY big shout-out to Sherbert Mayhem, my one and only reviewer for this whole dang story! Thanks so much for reviewing the prologue and first two chapters. Glory be to God for this chance to knowsuch a great writer like you! I really hope we can be friends, even if its only online...Anyways, here's the third chappie! I hope it lives up to your expectations.

Mei: And for anyone else reading this, R&R, people!

Disclaimer - Aki:Hikair doesn't own Beyblade, period.

Mei: She _does_ own the OCs, though...

**Chapter 3: The Final Test**

Kumiko's eyes widened as she watched Taichi's blade reverse its counterclockwise circle, knocking _her_ blade out of the stadium.

"Too bad! Looks like Kumiko's out of the game!" Takao commented, trying to hide his disappointment. Everyone's eyes were on the still spinning blade as it soared towards the ceiling. "That means Shimamoto-"

"Just a moment, Kinomiya-_sensei_…" Kumiko said quietly, her eyes flashing; she wasn't going to let victory out of her hands _that_ easily. She turned back to her opponent.

"Shimamoto, have you _so easily_ forgotten exactly _what_ type of blade you were up against?"

"Huh?" The copper-haired teen looked puzzled. He was especially puzzled because Kumiko had struck him as a nice, friendly girl. _Where does she get off, talking like that?_ he wondered.

"If I recall correctly, this _also_ happened during the Regional Finals, the day Team BBA was formed." Kumiko continued, a small grin crossing her lips. "The semi-finals between Mizuhara-_sensei_ and Hiwatari-_sensei_?"

In the silence, a whirring noise could be heard. Taichi glanced up. His olive-green eyes widened as he realized that the whirring was actually the sound of Kumiko's blade. Remarkably, it was still spinning; not only that, it was heading downwards towards the dish…and his Beyblade.

"No way!" Taichi exclaimed, glancing back at the raven-haired teen._ I shouldn't have underestimated her though…She's good!_ he realized with crystal clarity. Aloud, he said, "You customized that blade, didn't you? You replaced the base with a auto-change type?"

Kumiko smiled, but didn't reply. "Don't get overconfident; it may prove to be your undoing," was all she said, as her blade screamed downwards and landed on the green blade. "Say goodbye to victory, Shimamoto…" she smirked. "Dranzer F, crush it!"

The blue blade, which had been balanced directly on the bit chip of its opponent, immediately shifted to the side, and then back. The sudden disruption of equilibrium caused Taichi's Draei to teeter momentarily. The Dranzer F abruptly knocked into it, and it flew out of the stadium.

Stunned silence descended upon the audience. Kumiko knelt down and held out a hand; her blade spun obediently into her hand. She shot Taichi an apologetic smile, and then turned and began to walk down the steps. That was when the applause started.

"What a magnificent finish!" Takao exclaimed, an ear-to-ear grin nearly splitting his face in half. "Kumiko has managed to snatch the victory from right under Taichi's nose!" He paused to catch his breath, and then turned to the copper-haired blader. "And speaking of Taichi, let's give him a round of applause, folks, for his outstanding effort!"

The audience obligingly did so, Taichi's classmates growing rowdy with a couple of hoots and war whoops. Up on the platform, Taichi smiled sheepishly and waved.

_Wonder where Fujiwara-san went_? he thought, glancing about him for any glimpse of the raven-haired teen. But she was nowhere to be found.

* * *

"That was embarrassing…" Kumiko said aloud. She plunked herself down on a wooden bench near the back of gym, a little away from the crowd.

"What was so embarrassing about it?" a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up, surprised. And then her eyes narrowed.

"Mikage," she muttered, merely to acknowledge the presence of the one person she was _not_ in the mood to see.

"You haven't answered my question, Fujiwara." Chiaki said, glancing down at her. She leaned back against a nearby post as she did so. "Why so embarrassed?"

"You know I hate spotlight, Mikage," Kumiko replied, looking away as she twisted open her water bottle. She took a long sip, and then quickly wiped her lips.

"You don't hate spotlight, Fujiwara," Chiaki spat. "You always seem so comfortable whenever it's turned on you. Take for example your previous match." Chiaki's face tightened as she recalled the battle. She hated to admit it, but the movements of her chosen rival were…perfect. Perfect for their level, at least. "The first and third rounds, to be specific. In the former, you knocked Shimamoto out in less than a minute. And _then_, in the latter, you pulled out a win from out of nowhere. Why should you hide from recognition? You certainly have the skills…"

"I _may_ have the skills, Mikage, but I-"

Chiaki rolled her eyes. She didn't care a whit about whatKumiko said."Save it, Fujiwara. I didn't come here to hear some 'confession.'

She smirked, and then turned on her heel.She was confident that, despite what anyone else would think, she, Chiaki – not Kumiko – would win this last round.

"At any rate, you'd better prepare yourself for the finals, 'cause the break's almost over. See you." As the ash blonde teen walked away, Kumiko stared after her.

_Okay…what's her problem?_

Momentarily, she shrugged. Her 'opponent' was right; the break was almost over. She stood up, snagged another water bottle, and then made her way back to the front of the center platform.

* * *

"If I didn't see it with my own two eyes, I wouldn't have believed it!" Max exclaimed. He grinned widely, totally psyched for the final match.

Takao grinned back at his cheeky friend, who was now wide-eyed with glee. "Yeah! I didn't think there'd be anyone who could pull off a stunt like that. Aside from Kai, of course…"

The brunette turned to his other 'cohort'. "Did you get a record of that, Chief?" The brown-haired teen was seated beside him – and was typing away furiously at his laptop.

"Of course I recorded that match, Takao," Kyouju, always one to be thorough, replied, not looking up from whatever he was typing. "That's why I'm verifying the readings derived from the video; they just don't seem justified."

"Why is that?" Rei, now curious, got up from the opposite end of the table and peered over Kyouju's shoulder. What he saw made his eyes go wide. "No way!"

"Rei?" Takao looked up, concern creasing his brow. Rei was not the type to be easily rattled, which made him a clear thinker in battles – and in other situations, for that matter. If he was startled, it was for a good reason, the team knew.

Max glanced up too, worried. "What's wrong, bud?"

"Check it out, Takao, Max…" Rei said, carefully handing them the laptop. "Then you'll see why Chief was so…intent on his work earlier. He shook his head, visibly shaken. Takao threw the neko-jin another worried glance, just to make sure he was fine. Rei noticed, and gave him a small smile before sitting back down.

"So, what've you got, Kyouju?" Takao bent over to read the screen, as did Max. Instantly their jaws dropped.

"Those…_those_ are her stats?" Takao managed to choke out. "Are you sure she's _just_ a rookie?" 1

"Positive." Kyouju replied. He took back the laptop, tapped out something, and then turned it back around so they all could view it. "As you can see here, at the start of the match – the first round – Fujiwara's readings were not _that_ impressive." Here he pointed out a small table in the upper left corner. Max leaned closer in order to read it better.

"Attack: two stars; Defense: two stars; Endurance: two stars…" Max slumped back in his seat, looking nonplussed. "So how come the final readings are so high?"

Kyouju stopped the record, and then flipped the laptop closed. "I think, for some strange reason, she was holding back at the start of the match, and then played to her full ability _only _during the last round."

Everyone was quiet. It was quite bewildering to hear this; a rookie not playing to their full abilities was just plain…unorthodox.

"Don't you guys get it yet?" a quiet voice inquired from the far corner of the room. The four teens whirled around.

"Kai?" Takao looked surprised. "Don't tell me you were just _standing_ there the whole time we were discussing!" He _still _wasn't used to his captain doing that – seemingly appearing from out of nowhere – even when they'd been teammates for nearly five years!

"As a matter of fact, Kinomiya, I was." Kai stated quietly, smirking. He made his way over to the table. "Anyway, with regards to Fujiwara and her outstanding statistics, I have a feeling it has something to do with our bit beasts' strange behavior lately."

"You have it all figured out?" Max asked. He was still breathing hard from the 'scare' Kai had given them, but he wanted to hear an explanation, _any_ explanation, for what had been happening to them lately, and, hopefully, the enigmatic blader they'd been discussin.

Kai didn't reply; instead, he pulled out a chair. "Do you all remember exactly to _which_ bladers each of your beasts reacted?" He glanced at each teen in turn. The garnet eyes – usually emotionless pools whenever he spoke to them – were, strangely, neither cold nor calculating now.

Takao noticed, but paid no attention. He was the first to speak. "Hmm…Dragoon seemed to respond to Mikage…"

"…Draciel responded to Shimamoto…" Max added.

"…Matsuo's battles always seemed to get Driger excited…" Rei said thoughtfully.

"…And Dranzer reacted whenever I was watching Fujiwara." Kai finished, a small grin playing across his lips. "Does anyone spot a pattern?"

All was quiet for a few moments, and then Kyouju burst out, "The four semi-finalists!" He was mentally hitting himself on the head; why hadn't he seen it before? He chided himself for being unable to spot the obvious.

"Seems I'm not the only observant one around here…" Kai commented. "Does _anyone_ else realize the significance?"

"I don't think so…" Takao said, rubbing his chin and staring off into space.

Kai sighed exasperatedly. As usual, Takao was being dense. "The answer's actually very simple, but it might be difficult to accept…" He closed his eyes for a moment; everyone leaned forward should they miss anything.

After a while, the crimson orbs flickered open. "Dragoon, Draciel, Driger, and Dranzer are ready to move on."

At the announcement, pandemonium reigned.

"What?" Takao jumped up, horrified. "Are you saying I have to give up Dragoon?"

"What about Draciel?" Max was terribly distraught. He had gotten the bit chip as an accidental gift from his mother, Judy, all those years ago when he'd first met his teammates. It had come in the form of a pendant. The necklace itself he had broken in his haste to brush DJ Jazzman's arm from his shoulder immediately following his loss in the first round against Kai, but the 'pendant' that contained the beast had remained. The fact that it had been given to him by his mother made the bit beast even _more_ special to him. "I have to give _him_ up, too?"

"I'm afraid so, Max…" Kai said, closing his eyes once more. He was their leader, and, though he chose not to show it, he hated it when his friends were distraught. "Unfortunately, there is no other explanation. The four sacred spirits have chosen."

"I was afraid of this…" Kyouju muttered. Instantly, the bespectacled teen clapped a hand on his mouth; he hadn't meant to say that!

"Chief…you mean to say you suspected this all along?" Rei asked, his voice rather hoarse; he was not quite over the upsetting news.

"Unfortunately, yes…" the mousy-haired teen sighed before continuing. "I was doing research earlier, before the start of Fujiwara's match. I was trying to find an explanation for your bit beasts' strange actions…."

"And…?" Takao pressed, anxious to hear what his friend had to say. Perhaps it was all a mistake; Kai was just joking…

"I found an article online similar to what Kai has just said." The floppy-haired teen was quiet for several moments as he opened up another file. And then he began to read. "'_There is an exception to this rule when the bit beast simply chooses its next master, even though the current one is still alive and can still wield the beast himself or herself…_'" He looked up. "What's been happening lately fits; it's not mere coincidence."

"So…it's also not mere coincidence that those four made it to the semi-finals?" Max asked, slightly recovered now.

No one answered; no one felt like answering.

Suddenly, Takao jumped up. "Oh, man! I forgot!" He smacked his forehead at his own stupidity. "I'm supposed to open the finals!" He dashed over to the door, nearly tripping over his own feet in the process. "See you, guys!"

Silence. The other teens just stared at the door, from where Takao had just dashed out. Gradually, the atmosphere began to lighten. Max chuckled.

"That was unexpected…I could almost imagine DJ Jazzman in _that _scenario!"

Rei, too, grinned. "Yeah, you'd think they were related…I would have like to him trip, though, just for the heck of it…"

"You're so mean, Rei…"

* * *

"What's taking Kinomiya-_sensei_ so long?" Yuujin wondered out loud. "The finals were supposed to start ten minutes ago…"

Kumiko smiled at her friend. This was just like Yuujin, always worrying.

"Not to worry. I'm sure they were just discussing some stuff in the back room. He'll be along shortly."

"I hope so." Yuujin sighed. A few minutes later, she spoke again. "I'm getting bored…"

Kumiko chuckled. "Make up your mind; are you worried that something's happened, or bored?"

Yuujin stared off into space, looking thoughtful. After a while she replied, "I don't know…maybe…both?"

"Oh, you-!" Kumiko reached over and tickled her friend, sending her into a giggle fit.

"K-K-Kumiko, stop!"

All of a sudden, there was a yelp, and then a crash sounded from the platform area.

"What was that?" Kumiko stood up, trying to see in the dim light. The spotlight had been turned off, and only the lights at the very back were kept on. She was able to make out the silhouette of Takao as he stood up, and he seemed to be rubbing his head. And then the spotlight flashed on once more, as did the lights in the center of the room.

"Sorry for the delay, everyone!" Takao said as he picked up the microphone. "My friends and I were discussing something, and I lost track of time. Anyway…" he paused as he reached up and adjusted his cap. "As you all know, it's time to go on to the finals!" At this, several people clapped and cheered. Takao grinned roguishly. Being in front of a crowd always sent him into hyper mode, whether he was blading or commentating!

"So, without further ado, let's bring them out!" He swung out a hand towards the right side of the platform, in order to direct the crowd's attention towards that spot. "The winner of Block 1, Mikage Chiaki!" To his right, Chiaki stepped up to the platform, a smug smile on her face.

"And, the winner of Block 2, Fujiwara Kumiko!"

"See you, Yuujin…" Kumiko said, her voice hard. She stood up, her launcher clutched tight in her fist. This is it...

As soon as she was up on the platform, Takao grinned again. "Let's hear it for 'em, folks!" The group burst into cheers and applause. This lasted for several minutes, and Kumiko sighed impatiently. She just wanted the match finished as soon as possible, because then, she could get off the platform and get away from the crowd.

It seemed the stormy-eyed teen heard her; the next thing she knew, Takao was saying, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get this show on the road!" He fairly screamed the last part, and both Kumiko and Chiaki winced inwardly; being at close proximity to an announcer definitely had its setbacks! "Bladers, ready!"

At the command, both Chiaki and Kumiko set their blades in their launchers, and then turned and faced the dish.

"_Ganbatte_, Kumiko!"

"You can do it, Chiaki!"

"Go!"

"Show her who's boss!"

The whole of Section 1-A had chosen seats close to the platform for this match; apparently, the class was divided, since both finalists were classmates of theirs.

"3…2…1…Go, shoot!"

At the command, both competitors pulled hard on their ripcords, and their respective blades spun into the dish.

The white blade – Chiaki's – immediately went into a clockwise spiral around Kumiko's blue one, gradually picking up speed. Kumiko grinned.

"Is that all? From the warning you'd given me earlier, I could've _sworn_ you were going to be harder!"

"Don't be too quick to jump to conclusions, Fujiwara!" Chiaki shot back, smirking. "You might miss something important…" She glanced down at the dish, and the purple-eyed teen followed her gaze.

"Hmmm…pretty sneaky tactic, Mikage," she replied. "You thought to distract me while you attacked my blade." In the dish, Chiaki's blade was continuously slamming Kumiko's. Fortunately, it wasn't weakening at all. Kumiko smiled, the dangerous glint in her eyes. "Well, now that I've found out your tactic, I'll let you know it won't work! Dranzer F, go!"

At once, Kumiko's blade shot forward – much like it had during the battle with Taichi – and knocking into Chiaki's blade, causing it to flip into the air.

"This battle's over." Kumiko started to insert her ripcord back into her launcher (to get ready for the second round), when Chiaki's voice cut in once more.

"Like I said, Fujiwara, don't be too sure!" Kumiko gasped as she saw Chiaki's blade flip over in the air and head downwards back towards the dish. She hadn't counted on _this_! She glanced back at her opponent, alarm still written on her face.

"Looks like Chiaki's getting desperate, people!" Takao commented. "But can she pull off a win? At that angle, that blade seems destined to crash and burn!"

Kumiko calmed right down though, when she saw what Chiaki was planning; she tensed as she waited for the right moment to move out from below.

"Just watch me!" Chiaki said, more to Takao than to anyone else. Suddenly, before anyone had any chance to realize what was happening – especially Kumiko – Chiaki's blade crashed headlong into Kumiko's, effectively sending it spinning out of the dish.

Kumiko just stared. _She…beat me? Just like that?_ She picked up her blade, acting out of instinct. _Shun was right; she _is_ someone to be reckoned with…_

"Whoa! A fantastic move on the part of Chiaki, ladies and gentlemen!" Takao exclaimed, as much in shock as anyone else in the crowd.

"That's funny…I recall you saying not to get 'overconfident; it may prove to be your undoing.'" Chiaki smirked again.

"You're always so full of yourself, Mikage…" Kumiko scowled as she got up from her kneeling position, the amethyst orbs flashing with irritation. "Kinomiya-_sensei_, how long 'til we begin the second round?" she asked, turning to the brunette.

"Whenever you're ready, Kumiko and Chiaki," Takao moved his face away from the microphone in order not to have his voice heard over the sound system.

"We're ready _now_, sir…" The raven-haired girl replied, her grip on the launcher as tight as can be. Now that she knew her opponent's capabilities, bringing her down would be a snap! She grinned in anticipation, an action that didn't go unnoticed by Chiaki.

"What's so funny, Fujiwara?" she snapped, her voice sounding less authoritative and more impatient and childlike.

Takao brought the mic closer now, and he said, "Well, looks like the bladers are ready to start the next round!"

At once, Kumiko raised both arms above her head; she wasn't about to let _this_ round end on such an unsatisfactory note.

"3…2…1…Go…SHOOT!"

Once more, both bladers yanked hard on their ripcords. This time, Chiaki had aimed for the center, while Kumiko had aimed for the opposite slope. Accordingly, her blade bounced off and headed towards its opponent. With a deafening 'whack!', it knocked into Chiaki's blade, which shot towards the adjacent slope. Instead of bouncing off, though, it spun up it a little, and then back down; for Kumiko, this was enough – _the opposing blade was weakening_.

"Now, Dranzer F, _Flame Spiral_!"

Almost immediately, the blue blade began moving clockwise, gradually moving upwards and increasing its speed as it went; by the time it was on a level with the white one, it was only a blur. There was another thundering 'crack!' as Chiaki's blade went sailing out, landing at its owner's feet. It spun there awhile, as though still trying to comprehend why it wasn't in the dish anymore, and gradually ground to a stop.

A split second later, cheers and yells filled the stadium. As a result, Takao had to shout once more into the microphone to make himself heard.

"Astounding! Looks like Kumiko has just made up for her earlier loss, girls and boys! In less than a minute, she has sent Chiaki straight out of the dish! Suddenly, I'm not sure if I'm watching two rookies battle!"

"_No…_" Chiaki's voice was a hoarse whisper as she absorbed what had just happened; she was oblivious to what Takao was saying, overcome with astonishment and humiliation. She looked up at her rival. "How did…you-?"

"You got too overconfident, Mikage…" Kumiko said simply as she expertly caught her blade, which had spun back into her hand. "Perhaps it hasn't entered your mind that your earlier victory was only a test?"

"A _test_?" Chiaki spluttered, enraged by what she heard. _This Fujiwara is too much! A _test"You…you're lying!"

Takao – and the audience, which had quieted down – turned their attention to the two girls.

"Why would I lie?" Kumiko grinned, looking innocent once more.

"I've no idea why you'd _lie_…" Chiaki ground out. "All I know is, you lost to me in the first round, _and that's it_!"

Kumiko's grin grew wider, but it wasn't an innocent grin anymore."Are you certain of that, Mikage?" She shifted her gaze from the ash blonde across from her to a certain slate-haired blader she _knew _was somewhere in the crowd, watching. Ever since they had met on the first day of the 'program', she felt an inexplicable desire to impress Kai, to live up to his expectations, whatever they were. Without looking at her opponent, she continued, "A certain Tadehiko Shun warned me earlier to look out for _you_. I didn't understand then; your stats were…fine, for our level, but he insisted that it was you I had to be wary of. I had to investigate this, so I…conducted an experiment of my own."

"Why, you-" Chiaki started towards her, but was stopped almost immediately by Takao.

"Girls, let's not have any squabbling!" Takao said, looking pointedly at Chiaki. "Please, return to your place…"

"Not until I've had a shot at her!" Chiaki replied, straining against the brunette's hold on her arm. "_You_ heard what she said; she's _belittling_ me!"

"You know, Mikage, that happens a lot in the world of Beyblading…" Kumiko said, folding her arms over her chest, suddenly amused at how easy it was to make Chiaki fly off the handle. She'd never done such a thing to anyone _on purpose_ before, but, strangely, she liked it! "If you can't stomach it, then maybe you should look for a different sport that will suit you."

"Fujiwara, I think that's enough!" Takao said, his voice rising in his efforts to 'keep the peace'. He shifted his gaze from Chiaki to Kumiko, to emphasize what he had just said. Immediately, the raven-haired teen quieted down.

"_Gomen, sensei…_" she said, her voice soft. The stormy blue eyes widened; he certainly hadn't been hoping for _that_ reaction. He was afraid he'd offended her.

"Kumiko -" He began, but the purple-eyed teen stopped him before he could get anything out. She wasn't speaking to him, but to Chiaki.

"What do you say we get on with the match, Mikage? No hard feelings, I hope…" She grinned, a genuine smile now.

"Whatever…" Chiaki rolled her eyes, but stepped back to her previous spot near the dish.

Meanwhile, Takao was still trying to get over his initial shock at the abrupt change in Kumiko's personality when she was in battle.

_She reminds me of _KaiHe realized. _The face, the hard, cold voice, and the frightening confidence…they're almost _twins_, except for when the battle ends. Then, they're total opposites! But...there _may_ be something to what Kyouju and Kai said earlier…_He shook his head abruptly, mainly to stop himself from dwelling on that too long; there was still one more round before the finals were through!

"We, uh…apologize for the…unscheduled interlude, people…" he said, more to have something to say than anything else. "So far, both Kumiko and Chiaki have won one round each; that tie, ladies and gents, is going to be broken in this final round, and the winner shall be, of course, declared champion!" The crowd burst into applause once more (don't they get tired?), but Takao wasn't through. His grin got wider and put his face even closer – if that was possible – to the microphone. He took a deep breath. "And…"

Upon hearing that last word, the audience went quiet.

"The winner will automatically designated as team captain, to head the school team in the Junior Championships!"

The applause was deafening; many were definitely excited now since the stakes were higher.

Kumiko sighed, and then looked up; she could feel someone's eyes on her. She gazed out into the crowd let her gaze roam around, until it locked with Kai's. She involuntarily gasped; she may have known that he was in the crowd, but it still surprised her to actually _meet _his gaze! _How long has he been looking this way? _

* * *

_Where have I seen this scenario before?_ Kai was thinking as he gazed at Kumiko. _Now I'm sure of it; the four semi-finalists for this school really_ are _the next four chosen ones. Why else would the final round turn out like the one all those years ago?_

He sighed. He didn't want to admit it, but he'd taken a liking to this Fujiwara. She was everything he was when he was _her_ age, if only in battle. He couldn't care less how she acted when she _wasn't_ in battle; it was her _spirit_ he was drawn to. He could understand why his bit beast would choose such a blader.

And then, the command of '3…2…1…Go, shoot!' blared over the speakers. Kai shook his head. Now was not the time to dwell on _that_. He turned his attention back towards the match.

"What are you waiting for, Mikage?" Kumiko asked, not taking her eyes of the dish. "I thought you said you weren't going to hold back…"

"I thought you said the exact same thing, Fujiwara," Chiaki replied rather haughtily. "But what are you doing now? Are you _afraid_ to attack?"

The purple orbs narrowed drastically, and Kumiko sneered. "You wish!" With that, her blade picked up speed and rushed towards its opponent. It knocked into the white blade, sending it up the slope and nearly to the rim of the dish.

Chiaki panicked as she saw her blade riding up the slope, but she tried not to show it.. At the last possible moment, it reversed, and spun back towards the center. _Phew…_the emerald-eyed teen breathed a sigh of relief. _That was too close! If I'd wiped out _this_ early after I said I wouldn't hold back, I would've never lived it down…_Aloud, she said, "Hah! Looks like that attack of yours was too _weak_, Fujiwara!"

"For once, you're right, Mikage." Kumiko smirked. "So I held back. And who cares? After all, what fun is a battle if you're just going to win after the first two minutes? I decided to draw this battle out as much as I could, just for the heck of it."

"Oh, you're just so full of yourself!" Chiaki snarled. "Let's see how _you_ like it when _you're_ taken down! _Whirling Crash_!"

The last sent her blade spiraling around Kumiko's. Gradually, Chiaki's blade picked up speed and began to knock into its opponent over and over. On the opposite side of the dish, Kumiko was silent – and seemingly unaffected by what was happening in the dish. This caused Chiaki to become quite nervous.

_Why isn't she saying anything? And she could _at least_ defend herself! What's going on?_ Chiaki thought frantically.

"What's the matter, Mikage?" Kumiko asked, the frightening confidence having returned. "Why am I not counter-attacking _or_ defending?"

Chiaki's eyes widened. _How did she know what I was thinking? She's practically _scary_ like that! But why is she acting this way _now _when only a while ago, she was…herself?_

Kumiko chuckled softly at the dumbfounded look on her opponent's face. "I think you'll find the answer if you'd take a look at your blade." Unbeknownst to everyone around her, she was also getting rather confused, much less frightened, at her unexplainable changes in personality whenever she was in battle, especially now in the last round of the finals. But she had no time to think about that. She glanced at the dish, grinning again.

Chiaki, unnerved, but trying not to show it, followed her gaze, and gave an involuntary gasp.

Takao, too, was surprised at what he saw in the dish. "This doesn't look good, fans…" he said, looking puzzled. "Chiaki has been attacking like crazy, but Kumiko is still going strong. Conversely, Chiaki's blade is slowly wearing down! Is that why Kumiko chose _not_ to attack?"

"The _hell_ it's wearing down!" Chiaki exclaimed. The fire in her, which had slowly been burning low, now rose up again, inflaming her with a desire to win so strong that it almost overwhelmed. _How _dare_ she make a mockery of me in front of the entire senior year?_ she thought. She held back a snarl as she glanced back at her opponent. Her blade, seemingly sensing her anger, picked up speed once more and attempted to strike, but the Dranzer F was no longer there.

"Where'd it go?" Chiaki asked, referring to Kumiko's blade, which was nowhere to be seen. All determination had suddenly flown out the window and had been replaced with panic and bewilderment. _How'd she do that? How'd she disappear just like _that

To Chiaki's right, Takao was staring in surprise at the dish. _It's probably moving too fast to be seen…_ The stormy-eyed blader realized. _And Mikage doesn't know…_Where he had only been interested in Kumiko because of her remarkable performance thus far, now he was impressed; she had managed to create her own version of _Phantom Hurricane_, a special attack he had fashioned long ago.

"I'm right here!" Kumiko exclaimed. At the same time, her blade zoomed up to Chiaki's from behind and slammed into it, sending it careening out of its spiral. "You'll have to pay attention, Chiaki-san," she added, in tandem to another of her blade's attack. "You aren't going to win if you keep your eyes only on the obvious…"

"You can stop spouting that drivel, Fujiwara!" Chiaki exclaimed, her fists clenched tight. "The obvious thing here is that I'm about to kick your butt!" With that, her blade began its own counter-attack on Kumiko's. She was still burning from the remarks Kumiko had made earlier – no matter that the latter had apologized; she didn't forgive _nor_ forget easily.

_Now it gets interesting…_Shun thought as he watched the progressing match from the stands. _Mikage Chiaki's stats are suddenly increasing…Could she only have been holding back during the preliminaries?_ He stared at the screen of his laptop thoughtfully, his attention having been drawn from the match by the sudden rise in the emerald-eyed blader's stats. It was possible that she had purposely held back, just as Kumiko had done. You never could tell with bladers. _Could she…?_

Suddenly, there was a collective gasp from the crowd, and Shun snapped back to watching the battle. What he saw was nothing short of surprising.

Just like in Kai and Takao's first battle, the two blades had suddenly launched into the air, and were currently attacking each other aggressively.

"Now things are heating up!" Takao, ever the 'dedicated' commentator, shouted into the microphone. "The two bladers have taken the battle to the air, folks! Looks like neither Chiaki nor Kumiko is afraid of taking the risk of having their blade land outside the dish, _if_ and _when_ they land!"

"Go, Kumiko!" Yuujin was on her feet, yelling. "C'mon! You've seen this before. You _know _what's going to happen! _You can do it_!"

And it was true. Kumiko and had watched the Regional Finals from the comfort of her home, but that didn't mean that was any less aroused by the spectacular battle between Kai and Takao. The minute the broadcast was over, she had gone and bought her first Beyblade at the local hobby shop and had started training with it. Gradually, she had bought spare parts until she had crafted her very own Dranzer F. And she had dedicated herself to observing Team BBA, Team Baifuzu, and other world-class teams – and how they battled, in order to formulate her own repertoire of offensive and defensive maneuvers.

Kumiko heard her friend's encouraging shouts through the din of the audience, and she turned to her and grinned.

After around three seconds, the raven-haired teen turned back to the battle. She had to time this right. She focused on the two blades, still battling in mid-air. Across from her, Chiaki was doing the same thing. Slowly, Kumiko counted in her head. _1…2…3…NOW!_

"Dranzer F, Fire Storm!"

The blue blade instantly stopped its attack and slowly spiraled towards the center of the dish, its momentum boosted by the gravity pull. As it hit the dish, it angled up slightly, and then seemed to bounce back up towards Chiaki's blade.

In the blink of an eye, Dranzer F had collided with the white blade that was Chiaki's, and spent it spinning off its apparent spiraling course towards the dish. There was a resounding _THWACK_! as the blade hit the metal dish…and then, an unexpected whirring sound.

"This is truly astounding, folks!" Takao yelled. "Chiaki has managed to survive that devastating attack!"

Rousing cheers filled the stadium. It was as though they were watching a world-class match! They, the crowd, were really excited now.

* * *

"That Mikage-san is really somethin' else!" Taichi exclaimed, turning to Kaito, who sat beside him. Ever since the conversation they had had before the semi-finals, they had found each other a fine companion, and it was an unspoken agreement that they sit together.

Kaito nodded, not taking his eyes off the match. "But so is Fujiwara-san."

"Which is why I can't wait to see the end of the match! It's going to be so _great_!"

"You wouldn't mind if Mikage-san lost?" Kaito asked, a knowing glint in his eyes as he looked up at his friend. Taichi froze, and then glanced at the teal-eyed teen.

"Wh-what do you mean?" He sputtered. "Of…of _course_ I wouldn't mind if Mikage-san lost! I…I mean what's the big deal?"

Kaito shook his head, amused at the copper-haired teens efforts to hide what, to him, was already so obvious. "Come off it. You like her, don't you?"

"Erm…"

"I knew it!" Kaito chuckled, still shaking his head.

"Well, don't tell anyone, okay?" Taichi pleaded.

"Whatever…"

* * *

At the dish, the atmosphere was a little less light-hearted. Chiaki was concentrating on keeping her blade spinning long enough to spring another attack on Kumiko. The amethyst-eyed teen wasn't worried, however, as she watched her Dranzer F circle the dish almost lazily, just waiting for the command to attack.

After a few minutes, Kumiko decided that she'd waited long enough; her opponent didn't seem about to attack for a long while, anyway.

_Why waste all that time, _Kumiko thought, _when I could just finish the job?_ Aloud, she said, "Dranzer F, do it! NOW!"

The blue blade, upon 'hearing' its master's orders, immediately launched into the air and landed once more on top of the white one. At first it seemed to just be spinning on top of its opponent, but, upon closer inspection, Chiaki realized that Kumiko's blade was performing little jumps, which, as time went on, got progressively higher, and the movement made much more detectable. She turned to Kumiko.

"Is that all?" she asked, smirking and looking relaxed for the first time in minutes. "From the tone of your voice, I thought it would be something more impressive, not a skipping game!"

"Believe all you want, Mikage," Kumiko said, also grinning – _How naïve of her! _"I assure you, though, that my move was not _just_ a 'skipping game'."

Chiaki cocked her head to one side, skeptical. "How so?"

"Once more, I suggest that you don't look at the _obvious_, Mikage…" The raven-haired teen replied, an odd smile on her face. Obligingly, Chiaki glanced at her spinning top. And gasped.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she fairly screeched. In the dish were little splinters of metal, shimmering dull gray in the gymnasium lights. "You're _destroying_ my blade!"

"Hey! Isn't that against the rules, to attach a sharp edge to your blade?" someone from the audience called out.

Takao glanced at Kumiko warily. She hadn't seemed the type to go against the rules. Kumiko glanced back at him…and read the message written in the steel blue eyes.

"I'm not destroying your blade, Chiaki; I'm merely going to wear it out. With each jump, my blade causes _yours_ to dig deeper into the metal dish. That's why there are little slivers of metal identical to yours; _those_ came from the dish."

Takao, upon hearing the explanation, took a quick look at the dish. Sure enough, he could see a small gouge in the center, where Chiaki's blade had been, and a nearly invisible trail leading to where the blade now stood.

"Its true, folks." He said, merely to reassure the crowd that there was no foul play going on, especially if there were some in the audience who suspected favoritism. "The Dranzer F is _indeed_ forcing Chiaki's blade to dig deeper, causing a rut. If Chiaki doesn't do something _quick_, her blade's going to run out of steam!"

"You _bet_ I'm going to do something!" Chiaki exclaimed. "I'm not about to let Fujiwara win that easily!"

"Glad to see you don't give up easily, Mikage…" Kumiko replied. She was elated now, having seen what her opponent could do. This battle wasn't going to be a bore after all. Now if only they could be _friends…_"If we ever became a team-"

"Stuff it, Fujiwara!" Chiaki cut in. "And don't forget, keep your eyes on the stadium!"

It was Kumiko's turn to shift her gaze to the stadium. "Good move, Mikage," she commented, and she meant it; she hadn't expected that move. The white blade had thrown off its opponent at an angle, and at the same time had jumped so it was now out of the rut.

"This is going to take longer than expected, girls and boys!" Takao said, having noticed what the ash blonde teen had done.

"That title is going to be mine!" Chiaki said as her blade rode up the slope on Kumiko's side; Kumiko's blade was on the opposite end.

"What makes you so sure?" Kumiko shot back. Her blade moved downwards towards the center, stopping just a few inches away from the 'gorge' that had been formed moments earlier.

Chiaki didn't answer. "Take it down!" she shouted as her blade moved in for the kill. It circled to the opposite side, and then rocketed downwards towards Kumiko's blade. At the last minute, the Dranzer F shot forward, hit the rut, and then flew upwards at around a 45-degree angle.

"Dranzer F, _Spinning Flame Bomb_!" Kumiko commanded. Accordingly, her blade reversed in mid-air and then shot downwards towards the shimmering white blade. The Dranzer F hit its opponent squarely on one end of the attack ring, which flipped it into the air. Meanwhile, the Dranzer didn't let up on its attack. It was a mere blur as it spun counterclockwise about the dish, and then shot upwards again to strike the white blade, which was spinning feebly in the air, sending it flying towards Chiaki.

"Aaah!" Chiaki's eyes widened, and she held up her hands in front of her face, like a shield, as her blade came spinning towards her. She had gotten hit with a blade before – totally by accident – and didn't wish to repeat the experience. Surprisingly, she heard a 'thwack', which caused her to open her eyes. "Huh?" The white blur which had seemed so threateningly close, now was back and spinning in the dish.

"Sorry 'bout that; didn't mean for it to _almost _hit you." Kumiko smiled apologetically.

"But…you knocked my blade back _into _the dish…" Chiaki mumbled, perplexed. _Hadn't she also wanted to win this match?_

"Yeah, but if I didn't do something, you'd be on the floor, writhing in pain. And we don't want that to happen, do we?" She, too, knew how painful it was to get whacked with a Beyblade, and she didn't want to become as cold and ruthless as a few bladers she'd seen broadcast on television – the members of Team Neoborg, for instance.

"I guess not…" Chiaki looked at her feet, overwhelmed by a strange emotion. "Thanks…Fujiwara…"

"No problem!" Kumiko replied cheerily. "Oh, but Mikage-san?"

"Yeah?" Chiaki looked up, surprised. The suffix _–san_ was usually attached to a person's last name to show respect. _What's Fujiwara planning now?_

Kumiko grinned and gestured towards the dish. "You're still in the game, so I suggest that you play to your best."

Chiaki glanced down at the dish to confirm Kumiko's statement, and then glanced back up again. "You're on!"

"Chiaki's back in the game, ladies and gents!" Takao, having found his voice again, exclaimed. He was _also_ relieved that no one had been hurt."One can only tell how much longer she can hold out, having taken that much damage!"

The two blades rushed at each other, using the slopes now that the center was scarred. With a tremendous _whack!_, the blades flew into the air upon impact. They flew off in different directions towards their respective owners. Startlingly, either blade landed on the extreme edge of the dish, balancing precariously.

"Incredible!" Takao exclaimed, realizing the familiarity of the scenario. "Ladies and gentlemen, both blades are now balanced on the edge of the dish. Which blader will prevail: Chiaki…or Kumiko?" He himself was unsure how the battle would end, because he knew – though he refused to admit it – that it was only luck that led his blade to victory when he and Kai had faced off all those years ago. Each blade had a 50 percentchance of spinning back into the dish – or out of it.

To the surprise and delight of the audience, _both_ blades reentered the dish at the same time, causing those watching to believe that the battle would take longer. Kumiko, however, had other ideas.

As soon as her blade had touched the thin black line that separated the center of the dish from the slope, it shot sideways and knocked into Chiaki's blade once more. This time, there was a slight _clack_ as the white blade landed outside of the dish, bounced once, twice, three times, and then landed at its owner's feet.

Dumbfounded, Chiaki picked it up. _I…I lost…_

"And there you have it, fans!" Takao was saying, once more raising his voice in order to be heard over the hubbub. "With a surprise finish, Kumiko Fujiwara emerges the victor in the finals!" Takao himself was taken aback at the outcome, though he couldn't explain _why_. He supposed it was like that sometimes: though you weren't expecting any one person to win, you were still bound to be surprised by the results. He shrugged, grinning. Oh, well...

Kumiko retrieved her blade and returned it to her pocket. Her launcher was still gripped in her hand. She quickly made her way over to Chiaki and placed a hand on the emerald-eyed teen's shoulder.

When she felt the soft paw on her shoulder, Chiaki started, and whirled to face its owner. Her face took on a puzzled expression when she saw it was Kumiko. She was still too stunned to speak, though.

Kumiko smiled. "Congratulations, Mikage-san."

"Huh?" Chiaki was utterly confused now. Why was Kumiko congratulating her? Hadn't she just _lost_?

"That was a good battle." Kumiko explained, correctly reading the other's expression. "You didn't give up trying, no matter how impossible it seemed. Sure, you lost, but what does that matter?"

"I…"

"What _matters_, Mikage-san, is that you tried your best. Right?" Kumiko smiled again. Just before she had saved her 'opponent' from a head-on collision with the other's own blade, Kumiko had realized that it was pointless to be enemies with someone she didn't even _want_ to be enemies with, and that, in order for them to become friends, she – Kumiko – had to make the first move. And so she did. When she finally attached –_san_ to Chiaki's last name, she had really meant it. The teen was indeed a formidable opponent, given the right motivation, and for that, credit had to given where credit was due. Chiaki now had her respect. She secretly hoped, though, that she had Chiaki's in return, for she knew that it was inevitable that they would end up as teammates. They had to get along if they were to compete in the Junior Championships, and she was determined to make this work, no matter _how_ disagreeable Chiaki would decide to be.

To the amethyst-eyed teen's surprise, Chiaki smiled, a genuine smile. And then she chuckled softly.

"_Hai…_you're right, Fujiwara-san. I _did _try my best." At that point, Chiaki looked up, and locked her emerald orbs on Kumiko's amethyst ones. "And…I'm sorry if I treated you like…_that_ in the past. What you did a while ago – stopping my blade from bonking me on the head and knocking it back in the dish in the process – proved that you really _are_ a good person, and that you never would hurt anyone if you could help it."

"Mikage-san…" A small smile graced Kumiko's lips.

Chiaki stuck out a hand. "So what do you say? We wipe the slate clean and start over?" She grinned once more.

Kumiko, glad that she had succeeded in wiping out the animosity between her and Chiaki, happily took the other girl's hand and shook it vigorously. "Of course we could start over! I'd like that very much, Mikage-san!"

Unknown to them, Kyouju had now taken the microphone from Takao, and was now about to announce something.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The mousy-haired teen's voice boomed over the loudspeakers. "Now that the finals are over, may I present to you Sento-Sasaki Senior High's Beyblading team! We have: Matsuo Kaito!" He paused, waiting for the chocolate-haired teen to step up to the platform. When he did, a group of male students to the left-hand side of the room started cheering like crazy; apparently, they were several of Kaito's classmates. Kaito said nothing, but he did wave, albeit rather shyly.

"…Shimamoto Taichi!" Once more, Kyouju waited as said blader made his way to the platform to be recognized. This time, students to the lower right-hand section of the audience went wild, overjoyed that one of their classmates had made it.

"…The first runner-up, Mikage Chiaki!" Kyouju didn't have to wait for very long since Chiaki was already on the platform. Meanwhile, the ash blonde teen, now a tad embarrassed, waved too at the audience.

"…And last, but certainly _not_ the least, the champion _and _team captain…" Takao paused for effect, though he knew that _they_ knew who it was. He grinned, and then continued. "…Fujiwara Kumiko!"

Kumiko smiled and waved, wincing inwardly at the intensity of the applause. _C'mon, just stop clapping already…_she pleaded silently. She didn't know why she hated it when she was recognized in anyway; it made her feel more embarrassed than usual, like she wanted to be swallowed up by the earth.

Max, grinning widely now, approached the platform. He spoke directly to the 'team'. "Well, now that you're all a team now, you'll have to think of a name. It can't be Team BBA 'cause, well, you weren't exactly founded by the Association…"

"How about 'KuChi KaTa'?" Taichi asked, half-smiling. Chiaki whirled to face him.

"What kind of name is _that_?" She asked, her voice incredulous, but her face amused. "For a dog, it _might_ be okay, but for a _team_?"

"It's, you know, the first syllables of our given names put together?" Taichi explained, feigning disgust, but not quite succeeding.

"Get _real_, Shimamoto-san…" Chiaki replied. She rolled her eyes, but still smiled.

Unknown to them, both Rei and Kai were up on the platform, and students were exiting the room at a steady rate. Soon, only Yuujin, Yuriko, and a few other stragglers stayed behind.

"Did Max tell you what will take place tomorrow?" Rei asked as soon as the four teens fell silent. Chiaki shook her head.

"Why, sir? What's happening tomorrow?" she asked. The other three nodded their heads in agreement; they wanted to know, too.

Rei took a deep breath and began. "Well, Takao has already instructed the other seniors to come back tomorrow-"

"But why? Who's going to train _them_?" Kaito cut in. He hadn't meant to, though; the words had just jumped out of his mouth.

"I'll get there." Rei said, gesturing for him to wait. He smiled. _He's just as impatient as Takao sometimes…_he thought. _Something tells me this team isn't going to be far cry from Team BBA…_ "At any rate, they will return tomorrow. They'll be using the outer gymnasium, while you four will use this same room. Now, the four of you will have different sessions each day, each session focusing on one battle statistic. Tomorrow's session, for example, will focus on defense. Max will take care of that one."

"I think I get it, _sensei_…" Kumiko said slowly. "And the sessions focusing on attack, endurance, and speed, will be taken care of by Kinomiya-_sensei_, Hiwatari-_sensei_, and you, respectively…"

"Yup!" Rei grinned widely. "That's it exactly."

"But what of-" Chiaki began, but Max read her mind correctly.

"You mean Kyouju? He'll be analyzing each of you during each session. Each session will take exactly thirty minutes." He stopped, and then looked off into the distance, as though figuring out something. Presently, he glanced back at them. "Since we can't have you stay for more than thirty minutes after school, we'll have three sessions tomorrow, and then the last session the day after that."

"While one of us is overseeing a specific session," Takao added, having put away the microphone and joining the group. "The other three will go outside and train the other students, because we can't just abandon them in the middle of a project to focus on you."

"But, sir," Taichi persisted. "If that's the case, the day after tomorrow, we'll have around an hour of free time after the training session. What will we do then?"

Kai answered this one. "What will happen, Shimamoto, is that we will dismiss the others earlier; they may do whatever they wish. You four will stay behind; by the end of the fourth session, Kyouju will have gathered all the data needed to determine who would be your personal mentors. For instance, Mikage-san, you fare better in attack; thus, you would undergo special training by Takao."

"Okay…"

"And now, you four are dismissed," Kyouju said, snapping his laptop closed.

"Yes!" the four teens exclaimed. They hurriedly jumped down off the platform and made their way towards the swinging double doors that led to the outer gymnasium. Seeing that their friends were already dismissed, Yuujin and the others went to join them.

"See you guys tomorrow!" Max said cheerily, waving at them as they stepped through the threshold.

As soon as the last student was gone, Takao turned to his friends. "Well, what do you guys think?"

* * *

"So you guys are going to have personal mentors?" Yuujin asked as she adjusted a strap so that her bag rested comfortably on her left hip.

Kumiko sighed and did the same. "Yup. Hey, I'm not in any hurry to go home. Want to go to a mall or something?"She didn't want to talk about the blading program, and the auburn-haired teen picked up on this quickly.

"Sure! How about we check out HMV?" Yuujin suggested.

"You mean that CD and anime merchandise store that opened last week?" Kumiko brightened immediately. "Why not? I've been wanting to add a few volumes to my manga collection."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

* * *

A/N: That's it for this week's chapter! Hopefully, I'll have the _next_ chapter also up by next week.

Aki: Just make sure you finish your projects, and do a good job on them, too...

Me: I know! Haven't I been working on those three projects daily? In case you haven't noticed, I work on my story _after_ I've finished typing up a new chapter for _each_ project...

Mei: Don't worry, Hikari...I know you're working hard...

Me: Thanks, Mei...Oh, before I forget...Readers, this is the part where I ask for your help...

Aki: It seems Hikari was unable to think of a suitable name for this new 'team' she formed in the story...

Mei: So now she's asking for suggestions! The name will be revealed soon, but I doubt it will be in the next chapter...

Me: Right...Anyway, R&R, peeps...Dewa matta and God bless!


	5. Chapter 4: Yasashii Yoru Ni

A/N: Hey, everyone! I'm back with another chapter for 'The First of Their Kind'. This is really my first story wherein the story revolves around a tournament, so bear with me if almost all the chapters have something to do with Beyblade battles in them...most of the realizations happen during the battles, so...

Anyway, to all those who read and reviewed -

Aki: There are only _two_ who read and actually reviewed_ -_

Me: Shush! A BIG 'thank you' to those who reviewed! It really made my day!

Disclaimer: Don't own Beyblade..._do_ own the OCs, though...

* * *

**Chapter 04: Yasashii Yoru Ni**

A light breeze whistled as it swept through the trees, rattling the leaves and knocking some of them off the branches. A lone student, her jet-black hair blowing around her because of the wind, shook her bangs out of her eyes and gazed at the orange sun as it slowly sank behind the hazy mountains. The sky was already a dusky blue color; night was falling. She smiled contentedly, turned, and then approached the nondescript oak door, which opened into the tastefully furnished outer hallway of a rather large house in one of the few ritzy suburbs of Tokyo.

"_Tadaimasu_!" Kumiko called as she stepped through the wooden doorway. "_Obasan_?"

From the direction of the kitchen, there was a clatter, as of something being dropped, and then footsteps coming down the hall.

"Kumiko-_chan_, you're home!" A slightly built, middle-aged woman with thinning brown hair stood in the hall, a motherly smile on her face. "So, how was your day?" she asked. She cocked her head to one side. "I heard that your school is starting this training program in Beyblading for those who are interested."

Kumiko grinned as she approached her aunt – for that's who the woman was. "_Hai_. But, _Obasan_, that was _yesterday_. Today, we had the second part of it – the semi-finals and the finals to be exact."

Minami – Kumiko's aunt – looked puzzled. "Why are you having a tournament? I thought it was a _training program_…"

Kumiko chuckled. "Oops. I should have told you this earlier. See, they want to get the best of the forty people who signed up for the program. Those not accepted will still be trained-"

"Why would they get only 'the best'?" Minami looked more puzzled than ever.

The raven-haired teen sighed inwardly. If only her aunt were more patient! "Well, we were told that the school would enter the Junior Championship taking place soon; that's why they started the program. They're only going to get the best four bladers to represent the school, but the other students who signed up will still be trained, though _their_ training isn't going to be as rigorous as ours."

"'Ours', you say?" Minami blue-green eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"Ah…I…was one of the top four chosen to represent the school…" Kumiko half-whispered, blushing slightly. She hated telling her relatives of her achievements; they tended to 'go wild' and throw a big celebration in her honor. Especially since she – in her relatives' eyes – was following in her parents' footsteps.

The aqua orbs widened with joy. "Oh, Kumi-_chan_! That's wonderful!" she exclaimed, using Kumiko's 'baby nickname'. The amethyst-eyed teen cringed; she _hated_ that name! "Please, won't you go call your uncle? He's upstairs…"

"Eh?"

"He'd want to hear about this, I'm sure. In fact, I know _I_ would want to hear your story!" Minami turned and hurriedly walked back to the kitchen. Before she entered said room, she half-turned and added, "It's a good thing, then that I prepared chicken your favorite way; it can be our celebration dinner."

Kumiko heaved a loud sigh when her aunt disappeared from sight. "I knew it…" she groaned. She dropped off her backpack in the living room, and then trudged up the stairs to the second floor to find her uncle.

As she padded along the wooden upper hallway, glancing into the various rooms now and then, she began to allow herself to drift away on her memories…

It seemed so long ago now, but it was actually nearly six years since 'the accident', as the clan referred to the tragic accident that took Kumiko's parents…

Her mother, Mariko, was a great artist and fashion designer. She was also a great singer – according to Kumiko's uncle, her mother had been a voice actor in several anime series, and had become quite successful in the business before she retired and began her second job. In fact, stories used to circulate in school that Kumiko would one day become a great _seiyuu_ herself. It was from Mariko that the raven-haired teen inherited her love for music and her skills in drawing.

Kumiko's father, Saburo, was a department store manager, but Kumiko remembered that he also liked to tinker with Beyblades. She knew because one day, when she had recently turned ten, she had wandered into her father's study and found several sheets of paper, filled with designs, measurements, and the occasional statistic for a blade he was helping to develop. She thought that, perhaps, it was her dad that had helped influence her to go into blading.

Around four months after Kumiko's tenth birthday, her parents had gone on a business trip. One from which they never returned. It was a car crash, the police said, but Kumiko thought otherwise. She had found out, through eavesdropping on her _other_ uncle's phone conversations – he was also a Beyblade engineer – that, approximately one-and-a-half months before the accident, her father's partner had mysteriously disappeared. Apparently, for reasons yet unknown, the company had fired him. The raven-haired teen thought it odd that her parents would get into an accident so soon after a colleague had disappeared; it appeared _too_ coincidental. She had always wanted to tell someone, _anyone_, ofher suspicions, but she knew they'd never believe her; she didn't have enough 'proof'.

By now, she had reached the last room on the second floor – the TV room. She knew her uncle liked to watch the early-night programs, so he was sure to be here. She peeked in; sure enough, her Uncle Kenji was seated on his favorite mocha armchair, his favorite program playing on the television.

"_Ojisan_?" she called, not wanting to interrupt so abruptly. The charcoal-haired man seated on the chair jumped and then whirled around. A wide grin broke over his kind, wrinkled face.

"Kumiko!" he exclaimed as he approached his younger relative. He gave her a hug, which the girl returned with much gusto. The middle-aged man broke the hug, held her at arm's length, and gazed at her, a confounded look on his face.

"How is it that you can _always_ sneak up on me?" he asked. "I try and try, but I never seem to be able to catch you!"

Kumiko giggled. Ever since she had come to live with her aunt and uncle nearly six years ago, she had developed a knack for sneaking up on either of her guardians and surprising them. And her uncle asked that very same question _every time_ she did that.

"Uncle, you _know_ you sometimes have that television on rather loud; maybe _that_'s why you can't hear me…"

"You know, you have a point…" Kenji looked thoughtful. And then he chuckled. "Well, that's enough on _that_! So…why are you looking for me?"

"Aunt Minami is calling you; she wants you to hear something." Kumiko replied vaguely.

"Really? What's it about?"

"Err…" Kumiko bit her lip and looked away. "It has something to do…with school." She answered hesitantly.

"Well, this must be good news if she's calling me at least five minutes before dinnertime!" the emerald-eyed man said, scratching his neck. "Let's not keep her waiting, then!" he clapped a rather large hand on his niece's shoulder. "Off we go!"

* * *

"Kumiko, that's wonderful!" Uncle Kenji exclaimed, putting down his fork. The 'family' was seated around the dinner table and were around halfway through the chicken dinner Aunt Minami had prepared earlier. Kumiko looked down at her plate, blushing once more. She knew what was coming next… 

"If only your parents could see you now…" the middle-aged man added, also looking down at his plate, vaguely aware that he was thinking how strange his family was – Japanese, yet they rarely used chopsticks, as other families were wont to do. Minami nodded in agreement to her husband's comment.

"We should probably tell Miinoru and the others…" she said quietly, still smiling. Kumiko's head jerked up.

"What?"

Aunt Minami smiled. "Well, they'd want to hear about your recent achievement, Kumiko-_chan_." She stood up. "I'll go-"

"Wait, _Obasan_…" Kumiko said, also standing up.

"What's wrong?" Uncle Kenji looked up from his chicken.

"Well…just this once, could we…keep this news to ourselves? Even just for a little while?" Kumiko pleaded. "I'm…just not sure I'd want them to know about this so soon…"

"What's the matter with them knowing?" Minami was puzzled. This was the first time her niece had asked them not to tell their other relatives; was something wrong?

"When the tournament comes around, I wouldn't want to have so many people cheering for me; it's a little embarrassing. And I know how Uncle Miinoru is about Beyblades," she added, referring to 'the accident'. "He'd probably go ballistic!" She grinned, trying to assure them that everything was fine.

"She has a point, Minami…" Kenji glanced up at his wife. Minami glance back, and, after a few moments, she sighed.

"All right…" she sighed, acquiescent. "So when should I tell them? They can't _not_ know about this, Kumiko; they'd want to congratulate you…"

"I'll…let you know, _Obasan_…" Kumiko replied cheerfully. She sat back down to finish her dinner. "I'm…still trying to get used to the idea, though, that I'm going to represent the school in the tournament…"

Kenji grinned at her. "Don't worry, Kumiko…you'll do just fine, I'm sure."

Kumiko smiled back.

* * *

_Yoru no sora ni matataku…  
Tooi kin no hoshi…_

The soft strains of music wound its way throughout the room. It was one of Kumiko's favorite songs, evidenced by the sheer number of times she'd played it.

The raven-haired teen put down the pencil she'd been using and stretched. Getting up from the chair at her desk, she glanced around the room.

_Yuube yume de miageta…_  
_Kotori to onaji iro…_

Her desk, which was next to a window seat, was of mahogany, and it usually held her sketchpad, art materials, and during the week, her schoolbooks. Her collection of books was arranged neatly, alphabetically and by genre, on the small bookshelf hanging above her desk. Her bed was a four-poster, with drapery the color of pale rose. She knew that the sheets were pale beige in color; she couldn't see them at the moment because they were covered by her favorite gold coverlet. The walls of her room were an icy blue, with an occasional design here and there done in a darker shade. She was quite proud of those designs; she been the one to stencil them in when she was younger – around thirteen. 

_Nemurenu yoru ni hitori utau uta…  
Wataru kaze to issho ni omoi wo nosate tobu yo…_

She turned back to her sketchpad and sighed. It was turning out bad, in her opinion.

For the past thirty minutes after she had finished her homework, she had been trying to finish her phoenix drawing. So far, she had the body perfectly positioned – she had gotten the pose right on her first try – but she still had to sketch in the wings. And she was failing. Horribly.

_Yoru no sora ni kagayaku…  
Tooi gin no tsuki…  
Yuube yume de saite'ta…  
Nobara to onaji iro…_

She sat back down and picked up the pencil once more. _Now…how would Mom start sketching something she was having trouble with?_

_Yasashii yoru ni hitori utau uta…  
Asu wa kimi to utaou yume no tsubasa ni notte…_

She leaned over the paper and began to sketch in the shape and curvature of the wings to serve as a guide when she started on the shading that would denote the feathers.

_Yasashii yoru ni hitori utau uta…  
Asu wa kimi to utaou yume no tsubasa ni notte…_

The soft melody slowly faded away to nothing; Kumiko glanced up, startled. She swiveled her head to glance at her CD player, which was now silent, and then got up and walked to the nearby CD rack to pick out another album. She ran her finger over the different titles, reading them silently to herself, until she stopped on one that held some promise, meaning it was the most likely one to inspire her to finish the sketch tonight; she wanted to start on the color version tomorrow, if possible.

She turned and approached the CD player. After placing her chosen CD in the player, she pressed the 'play' button and then walked back to her desk, silently counting down to the start of the first song.

_Hoho ni ataru kaze ga kizoukeshite yuku…  
Kimi no koe ga tooku chikaku kikoeteru…_

She smiled to herself and continued to draw.

* * *

"Kumiko_-san_, it's_ beautiful_!" Rintaro breathed. He'd gotten a glimpse of the drawing the raven-haired teen was working on. Before she practically shielded it from view, that is. 

"_Arigato_, Rintaro-_san_…" Kumiko said quietly, suddenly wishing she'd left her sketchpad at home.

"When did you start working on it?" another of her female classmates, who had managed to approach without Kumiko noticing, asked, peering over Kumiko's shoulder in order to get a better view.

"Um…a few days earlier…" the amethyst-eyed teen replied, glancing out the window as she did so.

"Really?" the girl, Erika, asked. Kumiko nodded in reply and Erika smiled. "Well, can you show it to me when its finished?"

Kumiko opened her mouth to reply, but shut it once more when she saw that Erika wasn't listening. Without waiting for an answer, the other girl had turned and ran off to join her friends, who were on the other side of the room. Unbeknownst to her, Rintaro, too, had left her to her drawing in favor of the companionship of his gaming buddies.

The jet black-haired girl sighed in relief. _Finally, their gone!_ she thought as she picked up a scarlet pencil. She had finished the pencil sketch last night, and was about to start on the colored version. She glanced up and noted that Yuujin wasn't in yet, but shrugged it off. The auburn-haired teen was probably with a couple of her _other_ friends from the adjacent classroom. Kumiko didn't mind this, despite the fact that this happened often; she was perfectly used to the idea that she wasn't Yuujin's _only_ friend, and it wasn't so bad, actually.

It seemed only five minutes later that the bell chimed throughout the school. Kumiko huffed, annoyed, and then moved to replace her colored pencils and pad in her bag. Once finished, she brought out her mathematics book, notebook, and pencil case.

_Here goes another school day…_

_

* * *

_  
"Did you understand the math lesson?" Yuujin asked between bites of a riceball. It was their lunch break; Yuujin and Kumiko had gone outside and occupied their 'usual eating spot', which they usually reserved for balmy days. Today was one of those days.

Kumiko put her chopsticks back in her lunchbox and leaned back against the smooth bark of the tree – one of the reasons they chose that particular spot. "Why are you asking only now?" she asked, casting her friend a perplexed look. "Why wait the whole morning to ask for help?"

"Well…" The auburn-haired teen looked down sheepishly. "I sort of forgot to ask you – or any one of our classmates – earlier. I guess my mind was on the science quiz…"

Kumiko sighed and shook her head, smiling. "Well, what part of the lesson didn't you understand?"

"Um…the part about finding the exact values of secants, cosecants, and cotangents."

"Oh, _that_ part!" Kumiko sat up straight and reached into her bag for her notebook and pencil. Muttering to herself, she flipped through her notebook until she found the page she'd written that day's lesson on. "Okay, here it is!"

Yuujin scooted a little closer to her friend and leaned over in order to read the notes better.

"Let's say you're finding the secant of 45 degrees," Kumiko began, scribbling with her pencil on the opposite page to show the aqua-eyed teen how it was done. "First, equate this to its appropriate inverse – you _do_ know that the secant function is an inverse of one of the trigonometric functions, right?"

Yuujin nodded. "It's the inverse of the cosine function."

"Yup!" the amethyst-eyed teen grinned. "If that's the case, all you have to remember is that the secant of 45 degrees is equal to 1 divided by cosine of 45 degrees."

"That would be…" Yuujin stared off into space for a few moments, thinking. Then her eyes brightened. "That would be the square root of 2 divided by 2!"

"Good! You remember!" Kumiko gave her friend a quick thumbs-up, and then turned back to her notes. "But you have to 'rationalize' the equation; in other words, you have to get rid of the radical sign."

"So…how do you do that again?" Yuujin reached for the pencil and the notebook; she wanted to try solving the equation. "Do you…multiply it by something?"

Kumiko smiled broadly. "You're almost there, Yuujin! What do you multiply it with?"

"Err…" The auburn-haired teen tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I think it's the, uh…reciprocal of…something…"

"Bingo!"

"Huh?" Yuujin glanced at her friend, bewildered. "What do you mean, 'bingo'?"

"You got it!" Kumiko said excitedly. "You multiply it with the reciprocal! In this case, the reciprocal is '2 over the square root of 2'."

"Then what?"

The raven-haired teen glanced at her. "C'mon, you were able to remember the lesson so far; you can do it."

Yuujin squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to remember the next step. "You…convert '1' in the equation into…"

"'Square root of 2 over square root of 2'!" Kumiko grinned happily, took the pencil from her friend and quickly wrote down that part of the equation. "So the equation now reads 'secant of 45 degrees is equal to square root of 2 over square root of 2 multiplied by 2 over square root of 2'."

"So…" Yuujin's eyes brightened once more, and she quickly grabbed the pencil and wrote down her answer. "The secant of 45 degrees equals 2 square root of 2 over 2!"

Kumiko nodded. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it? You had understood the lesson all along; you just didn't realize it!"

"Yeah…" Yuujin mumbled, reaching over to replace Kumiko's notebook and pencil into the bag. "I guess so…" Having finished returning the materials, the aqua-eyed girl leaned back against the tree, and her companion followed suit.

There was silence for several minutes as the two friends reveled in the fresh breeze, which had just sprung up. The scene was a serene one, if you didn't mind the occasional students playing tag or soccer on the nearby area of the field. The sky was rather hazy – full of wispy, silvery clouds – which lessened the glare of sunlight. Aside from the shouts and yells of students playing around and chatting, the only sounds the pair could hear were the chirping of the birds that had come to nest in 'their tree', as they liked to call it.

Yuujin was the first to break the silence. "Do you have any plans for this afternoon? After training, I mean…"

* * *

"Chiaki!" 

The ash blonde teen whirled around, searching for whoever had called her; upon seeing who it was, she grinned and waved.

"Yuriko! Hey!"

The hazel-haired teen caught up with her a few moments later, and Chiaki stopped; she could see that Yuriko was panting hard, so she decided it wise to give her friend a few moments to catch her breath.

"Whoa…ran like crazy back there…" Yuriko commented, leaning back against the wall.

"Why _were _you running anyway?" Chiaki asked, an eyebrow arching up in bewilderment.

"Well, I…I just wanted to get to class earlier than I usually do after lunch break…" The chocolate-eyed teen grinned sheepishly. "I'm not exactly known for being punctual…"

Chiaki chuckled. It was true; Yuriko wasn't fond of bringing a packed lunch to school, so she usually ate out. Unfortunately, this resulted in her being constantly late for the first period after lunch.

"Oh, yeah!" Yuriko interjected, smiling broadly. "Are you planning on going somewhere this afternoon?"

"After the training at the gym?" The emerald-eyed teen wanted to know.

Yuriko nodded, still grinning.

"Uh, no…" Chiaki looked puzzled.

"Good!" Yuriko looked pleased. "Meet me at _Anna Miller's_ as soon as you guys are let off, okay?"

"Err…okay…" Chiaki was rather hesitant to accept her friend's invitation, but she felt she_ had _to accept. She could tell that she'd be very busy over the next few days, what with her training and all; the least she could do was spend a bit more time with her – and her other friends, for that matter – before the time _actually_ came.

* * *

"Ow…" Kumiko groaned, rubbing her fingers. She allowed herself to drop onto the long wooden bench found in the middle of the girls' locker room. The foursome had just finished the first two 'placement sessions', as Kyouju called them, five minutes ago, and she still had to meet Yuujin at _Anna Miller's_ – a popular teenage hangout in Tokyo. 

Slowly, she got up and walked to her locker, where she kept a change of clothes aside from her uniform. _Wonder why she wants me to meet her there?_ she wondered as she reached for her favorite black shirt. She quickly pulled it on, and then reached for a red pleated skirt.

As soon as she was dressed, she reached into the locker one last time and brought out her school bag and outside shoes. Once she was outside the building, she took off her indoor shoes, neatly placing them on a rack of similar shoes, and then put on her other pair. She quickly shrugged on a jacket – it was a little chilly – and then crossed the rather large field to get to the gate.

After walking for a few minutes, humming a song to herself, Kumiko reached the street directly across from _Anna Miller's_. The amethyst-eyed teen smiled a bit as soon as she saw the restaurant. Whereas the nearby buildings were rather dreary, _Anna Miller's_ sported a rainbow awning, and the lighting from inside was warm and inviting. Also, directly outside, but still covered with the awning, were a couple of wooden chairs and tables, for students who wanted to feel the breeze and whatnot.

Kumiko quickly glanced left and right, checking for vehicles, and then crossed the street to the restaurant.

When she got inside, to her surprise, the whole class was there. She glanced around, puzzled – and spotted Yuujin. She hurried over to the auburn-haired teen – who was smiling broadly – and pulled her aside.

"Yuujin! Why is everyone from our class here?" Kumiko asked in a whisper.

"Kumiko, don't you remember?" Yuujin replied, her head cocked to one side. "Today's Mikage-san's birthday!"

"Oh, yeah…" Kumiko said, smiling back. "I guess I was so caught up with this new drawing that I'm afraid I got the dates mixed up. I thought her birthday wasn't until next week!"

"Well, you'd better find a seat you like and quick, before all the good seats – meaning those next to the windows – are taken."

"Yeah, good idea…" the raven-haired teen said. She then proceeded to retrieve her bag from the chair where she'd left it and then settled into one of the comfortable cushioned booths near the back. It was quite removed from the tables where almost everyone was seated, but still near enough so she could see the door and hear _and_ see what was going on.

After a few minutes, the door chimes sounded again; Kumiko looked up. There stood Chiaki, a bewildered expression on her face.

"_Otanjoubi omedetou_!" The class cried in unison, huge smiled lighting up their faces.

Chiaki smiled back, though she was still dazed and shocked. "Oh, my…" she muttered, as she was lead to a table smack in the center of the restaurant. "What are you all doing here?"

"It's a party for you, Chiaki!" Yuriko replied, still grinning.

"You told me to meet you here," the ash blonde shot back, also grinning, "but I wasn't expecting _this_!"

"Ah, it's no problem, Chiaki-san…" Erika said, patting her hand. "After all, we're all friends here, right?"

"Yeah, right…" Chiaki looked down at her lap for a few moments. Suddenly, her head snapped back up. "So," she said, with a big grin on her face. "When are we going to order?"

Everyone burst into laughter, and Rintaro called some waitresses over.

After around ten minutes, everyone finished ordering, and they were seated at the various tables around the restaurant, chatting and laughing while waiting for the food. Kumiko had moved a few tables towards the front, to be closer to the others, but she could find no one to sit with.

She sighed. _I should be used to this_…she thought rather sadly. _After all, this usually happens on class get-togethers and such…_ Though it was true that she tried to join in on conversations, she didn't have that many friends in class, but that had never been a problem for her. She'd grown used to it throughout her teenage life, but she never thought that it would come to the point that _no one _would come up to her; even though in class she mostly kept to herself, one of her classmates would come up to her and start a conversation.

_Oh, well_…she sighed again. _At least I brought my sketchbook…I'll have something to do instead of waiting in vain for someone to join me here…_

She reached into her schoolbag and brought out her drawing materials. At first, she tried to finish the drawing she had been working on, but she found she couldn't concentrate. She tried to tell herself it was the noise, which was partly true. She wasn't bothered by the noise level; she was bothered by what the noise _meant_: everyone was having fun, while she was…well, all alone.

She sighed for what seemed the umpteenth time and replaced her sketchpad and pencils in her bag. She got up and made for the door.

* * *

Yuujin looked up as soon as she heard the tinkle of the door chimes. Her eyes widened when she recognized Kumiko heading outside. She quickly excused herself from her table and hurried over to her seemingly devastated friend. 

"Kumiko?" she asked worriedly as soon as she had caught up to the amethyst-eyed teen. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" Kumiko turned to face her friend, who was halfway in, and halfway out of the restaurant.

"What's wrong?" Yuujin looked genuinely worried, and suddenly Kumiko felt a pang of guilt for making her worry.

"Nothing's wrong, Yuujin!" Kumiko replied, forcing herself to smile. "Its just that I decided to go outside so I could finish the drawing I started earlier; I need some inspiration, and I couldn't find it inside the restaurant."

Yuujin stood there, silent. She grinned after a few moments, but Kumiko could read doubt in her friend's eyes.

"Don't worry about me!" she said, gesturing nonchalantly. "Just call me when my food's already there, and then I'll go inside, okay?"

Yuujin nodded slowly, not sure if she believed her. "All right, I'll do that…" she said. The two stood there for a few more moments, and then the auburn-haired teen let go of the door handle, allowing it to swing shut.

Kumiko slumped into the nearest chair and breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn't stand it when the auburn-haired girl blamed herself if she saw that Kumiko was unhappy.

She leaned over and took out her sketchpad and pencils once more. As she set the materials on the table in front of her, she sang to herself her favorite song:

"_Yoru no sora ni kagayaku…tooi gin no tsuki…yuube yume de saite'ta…nobara to onaji iro…_"

She sighed. Right now, that 'distant moon of silver' seemed a perfect comparison to the constant companionship she secretly craved, yet could never find. Yes, Yuujin was there for her, but she wanted something more other than the lunch breaks they spent together, the occasional outings at the mall and wherever else their feet led them, and the biweekly Beyblade training sessions – which had to be cut off because of the school training program Kumiko was now engaged in.

"_Yasashii yoru ni hitori utau uta…asu wa kimi to utaou…yume no tsubase ni notte…_"

Kumiko shook her head, suddenly angry with herself for being so…emotional, even given the circumstances. She had no time for self-pity!

Grabbing a red pencil, she bent over her sketchpad and started to draw.

A cool breeze blew, bringing from within the restaurant the sounds of student laughter and the enticing smell of freshly cooked food. Up above, several small stars twinkled in the distance, accompanied by the brighter glow of the ever-present moon.

* * *

A/N: There! Chapter 4 done! Yay! No beybattles! Oh, I apologize if I bored anyone out with the 'math lesson' thing back there...I typed this up a few minutes after I finished studying for a math quiz about the same thing, plus, it was the only thing that popped into my head that Yuujin and Kumiko...I'm really sorry! Oh, and the 'Anna Miller's' restaurant? I'm not sure if it's a real restaurant in Japan or not...I just saw it mentioned on 'Megatokyo', a doujinshi which can be found at So...I guess that's all...Peace out! God bless! 


	6. Chapter 5: The New Guardians

A/N: I just checked the reviews for this story, and, to tell you the truth, I'm a little depressed at the results: only _five_ reviews. That's like one review for each chapter that's been posted so far. Oh, well... you can't blame people for not being interested in reading about Beyblade tournaments and battles; you already get that in the anime, so why read more about it?

But, honestly, I was hoping for something more, but then, there you are. Ah, well...

Oh, for those of you who've read the previous chapters, from this chapter onwards, I'll be referring to the bit beasts as 'Suzaku', 'Seiryuu', 'Byakko', and 'Genbu'; this is to prevent confusion between the blade and the beast.

Disclaimer - Mei: Hikari-chan doesn't own Beyblade, but she owns _all_ the OCs.

* * *

**Chapter 5: The New Guardians**

"Alright, people, settle down!" Rei called. Immediately, the four trainees – Chiaki, Taichi, Kaito, and Kumiko – fell silent. It was two days after the finals, and the group had finished the fourth, and last, group session around five minutes ago, and they had been waiting for the 'results'. That is to say, who would be each one's 'personal trainer'. They all glanced at Kyouju expectedly – he had been the analyzer, and so it would be obvious that he would be the one to make the announcement.

Kyouju adjusted his glasses, took a deep breath, and spoke. "As you all know, you've already finished the last session. I have here with me the summary report. In the Attack Session, Chiaki performed the best among the four of you; in Defense, Taichi outclassed you all; in Endurance, I have to say it was Kumiko who fared better; and in Speed, Kaito nearly ran you all off the track."

_I think I can see where this is going…_Kumiko thought. She threw a discreet glance in Kai's direction, but he wasn't looking at her. She breathed a sigh of relief. _He wasn't looking at me…Thank goodness!_

"At any rate, I know you guys are waiting for the 'results'…" Kyouju continued, adjusting his glasses once more. "And so, here they are. Taichi, you'll be training under Max."

"I _knew _I'd end up training _you_!" Max exclaimed, grinning widely. "I felt it the minute you were the only one left spinning in the stadium during the session on defense!" He flashed his signature thumbs-up at the olive-eyed teen, who returned the gesture. "You're defensive tactics need a little work, but don't worry! You'll get better, now that you have _me_ to guide you!"

Max went up to the younger teen, put an arm around his shoulder, and then guided him towards a dish in the eastern corner of the room.

Takao grinned. Max was acting up again. He recalled the day they'd gotten their MG cores and tried them out. Both he and Rei had struck out. And then Max hade stepped up, confident that he could pull it off. The brunette could still recall his friend's words.

_"Let _me_ show you how it's done, guys. Its just that you don't have 'The Touch'."_

Takao chuckles slightly at the memory. Apparently, that time, Max didn't have 'The Touch' either, for he, too, went down seconds later.

"Takao! Aren't you listening?" Kyouju's shrill voice interrupted his thoughts, and he looked up.

"Sorry, Chief; just…thinking 'bout something." He grinned sheepishly. "What was that again?"

The brown-haired teen sighed and ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. "I _said_: Chiaki would be training under _you_." He gestured towards where Max and Taichi had already begun training. "Now go get started, before the half hour is up."

"Right, Chief." Takao made a mock salute, before approaching Chiaki. Just when he was about to guide her away, he stopped short, and his eyes widened in shock.

"Hold on a minute…I'm training a _GIRL_?" he asked, his voice rising. The stormy-eyed teen's price for _that_ remark was a throbbing, reddening cheek, courtesy of Chiaki. "OW!"

The ash blonde only glared at him.

Takao grinned sheepishly again. "Sorry 'bout that, Chiaki. I guess…it just slipped out?" he offered. He held out a hand.

Chiaki glared at him for a few moments, and then she sighed. "Forget it…let's just get on with the training…" she looked up at him, and then grinned. "I bet you I'll knock you out on my first try!"

Takao looked taken aback. He searched her emerald gaze for anything amiss, but there were none. She truly wanted to pit her skills against him. _When she's not trying to outdo others, she can be pretty nice…_He grinned back. "You sure you want to do that?"

Chiaki didn't answer; instead, she turned and then ran towards a dish in the opposite corner of the room. "Race ya!"

Takao stood stock-still. "What the-?" he blinked. _The girl's a competition freak!_ And then he smiled. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to train her. After all, she already had that passion to blade…and to win. He began to run after her. "You're on!"

Kyouju shook his head, and then turned back to his laptop. "All right…Rei, you'll be training Kaito, since he did so well in the session on speed."

"That's fine with me." Rei said, grinning. He turned to the teal-eyed blader. "Kaito? I'd appreciate it if you just called me 'Rei'. I don't feel very comfortable being called '_sensei_'…"

"Okay." Kaito smiled. "If that makes you happy, Rei."

"Let's get started then." Rei turned and made his way over towards a dish in the northern corner of the room, Kaito close on his heels. Kaito's height helped him to keep up with his mentor; being rather tall for his age, he had a longer stride than any other student in his year.

"Kai, why don't you get started with Kumiko?" Kyouju asked, as he typed in a series of keystrokes on his laptop. It bleeped, and the bespectacled teen looked up at his former captain. "I'll be going around to see how the trainees are doing. I'll just tell you guys when the thirty minutes have passed."

Kai merely nodded in reply. He waited for Kyouju to move away before leading Kumiko towards the exercise corner.

"Hiwatari-_sensei_?" Kumiko was puzzled. What were they doing among the exercise equipment? "Aren't we going to train now?"

"We are." Kai said simply, dropping the small satchel he'd been carrying. It fell with a muffled _thump_; whatever was inside had to be _heavy_! The crimson-eyed teen gestured towards the weight rack. "Let's see you lift ten pounds – in each hand."

"Wha-?" Kumiko was startled. _Ten _pounds in _each_ hand? The heaviest she'd been able to lift with one hand had been only five pounds, and even then she'd experienced some difficulty. She cleared her throat and tried her best to sound calm. "Why, sir, am I to lift weights?"

Kai simply picked up the satchel. "Because _I'm _training you now, and what I want is that you have enough – hopefully, _more_ than enough – upper body strength so that, when you enter the Championships, you'll be using _these_." He opened up the satchel and brought out two gleaming red armguards, the ones he'd been wearing when he first met Takao and the others.

Kumiko gaped. "You…you want me to wear _these_?" She knew that the armguards weren't ordinary; they were weighted, each one of them, and Kai only took them off when he was planning to use his full strength. For the slate-haired blader, they were some form of self-handicap. She reached out a hand and took one of the armguards. She nearly dropped it; it was so heavy! She used _both_ her hands to lift up, as though to examine it. The red material felt smooth on her palms, and at the elbow clasp was a thick, lethal-looking shark's fin-like projection. She glanced back up at Kai. To her surprise, he was _grinning_; it was a very small one, but it was there, nonetheless. "But, _why_?"

"Fujiwara, do you know that I liked what I saw in you during your battles?" he approached her, and then took the armguard from her. He replaced it in the bag. "You have what it takes to become a great Beyblader, but you need a little work."

"Doesn't everyone?" Kumiko asked, nearly rolling her eyes. She caught herself; she didn't want to get on Kai's bad side.

Kai glanced up. "At any rate, I saw how you _also_ don't play to your full potential, except when it's _absolutely_ necessary. However, how you do that is, unfortunately, highly obvious. That's why you need to use these. Not _everyone _knows they're weights; they think they're mere accessories, but _you_ know better, don't you?"

"_H-hai…_" the amethyst-eyed teen replied slowly.

"And from what I've seen, we are of the same spirit, Fujiwara." Kai leaned closer. "I'm right, aren't I?" The slate-haired teen grinned at the dumbfounded look on Kumiko's face.

"…Yes." Kumiko glanced down, her glasses nearly hanging off her nose. "Is it that obvious?"

"For one who looks carefully, yes, it is. And you, like your friend Chiaki, have the passion for blading, which is rare. Its no wonder that Suzaku was drawn to you."

Kumiko looked up suddenly. "Suzaku? What do you mean?"

Kai's eyes widened. He'd given it away! He waved his hand as a gesture to let the matter alone. "Never mind that. Just…lift those weights, like I instructed you to."

The raven-haired teen sighed inaudibly and walked over to the rack. Carefully, she took a ten-pound weight in each hand – and nearly fell forward from the weight. Kai noticed this.

"Try to keep your back as straight as possible, and then bend your knees slightly. That way, you won't strain your back." Kumiko did as he suggested; she found she could lift them a little, but _only_ a little.

"How…how many times, _sensei_?" she asked, gritting her teeth as she tried to remain upright.

"We'll start off with fifteen."

Kumiko's eyes widened. _Fifteen? I'm dead…_She took a deep breath, and then struggled to lift. She knew how to do it – elbows at the sides and the fists coming in towards the shoulder – but she couldn't seem to lift. _This is going to take a long time…_

_

* * *

_  
"What could be taking her so long?" Yuujin wondered out loud. She was standing outside the door to the gymnasium, waiting for Kumiko to come out. Kaito had been the first to leave the gym, followed by Chiaki, and then Taichi. That had been around fifteen minutes, and Yuujin was starting to get tired of waiting. _C'mon, Kumiko…hurry up!_

Suddenly, the gym door creaked open once more, and Yuujin perked up. Perhaps…

"Finally!" she exclaimed. She darted from where she had been leaning against the wall and approached her friend. "What _took _you so long, anyway?" she demanded of the amethyst-eyed teen. She stepped back, looking her friend from head to foot. "At least you didn't forget your coat _this _time! I wouldn't want _that_ to happen again…"

Kumiko smiled wanly as she remembered the time she'd forgotten her coat, and had to spend around thirty minutes freezing while waiting for the bus that would take her to the street near her subdivision. She was glad she'd packed her light gray coat; it was perfect, given what she had had to wear on her arms. She didn't want to startle anyone just yet. "Let's just say I had to train under Kai himself…"

"And…?"

"Well, he's very thorough…" Kumiko continued vaguely, rubbing her left shoulder.

"What's happened to your arm?"

Kumiko rolled her eyes good-naturedly. Typical. Perhaps _that_ was what made Yuujin so endearing; she truly cared for her friends, whether they'd been friends a long time or not. No wonder she – Yuujin – had _tons_ of friends. "It's…nothing, Yuujin. I…injured it during training…"

"Kumiko, I need more details!" Yuujin stopped walking, causing the raven-haired teen to stop walking, too.

"Fine…just calm down, okay?" Kumiko ran a hand through her hair, albeit a little too slowly for Yuujin, and then continued. "I had to lift weights earlier. It's part of the training program Kai formulated for me because of my battle style and-"

"What's this?" Yuujin grabbed her friend's hand. She'd spotted something red flashing on the brunette's middle finger. She grabbed the arm and held it up – eyes widening at how heavy it had become all of a sudden – and then gasped. The gray sleeve had gone down a little, revealing a bit more of the red material.

"Oops…" Kumiko muttered. "Maybe I should have just taken these things off when he wasn't looking…"

"Kumiko! What are you _doing_?" Yuujin fairly shrieked. Her eyes were wide. She, too, knew of Kai's armbands, but she'd never thought she actually see her _friend_ wearing them.

"Kai…gave them to me…" Kumiko mumbled, glancing away. "It's…hard to explain…"

"Well, then, take them off! Yuujin said, gesturing wildly. "_Now_ I know why your were rubbing your shoulder! You didn't injure it during training; it's hurting because of the sudden weight you've put on it! And I bet the other one's hurting, too!"

"Bingo…"

"So why don't you take them off?"

"Kai told me not to, okay?" Kumiko shot back, a little too harshly. Yuujin gasped, and then fell silent. She said nothing, but the look on her face was enough. Kumiko sighed.

"I…I'm sorry, Yuujin…" the raven-haired girl said. With some difficulty, she brought an arm up and around the auburn-haired teen's shoulder. "I shouldn't have snapped at you. It's just that…"

"You want to impress him, don't you?" Yuujin asked quietly, smiling slightly.

"Yeah…partly…"

"What do you mean 'partly'?" Yuujin was puzzled. For the whole time she'd known Kumiko, whenever the subject of blading came up, the purple-eyed teen had talked of nothing but meeting Kai one day, and possibly impressing him.

"Well, Kai said something about the two of us being 'of the same spirit' – meaning we sort of feel the same towards a certain thing. And then he said that the way I hold back at the beginning of a battle and only show my true strength towards the end was similar to what he usually does; _my_ technique, however, is kind of predictable, so he wants me to start wearing _these_…" For emphasis, she brought up an arm again and pulled down the sleeve to show the sleek red material and gleaming metal band around the wrist. "He said that, in time, I'd grow used to them, and that lifting like…thirty pounds would be a cinch…and whenever I'd take these off, my launches would be more…powerful and the blade would have more speed, and all that stuff that happens whenever _he_ himself would take them off…back when he was wearing them, anyway." She had been babbling, but managed to stop herself. She herself wasn't able to understand _why_ exactly she agreed to wear the red armguards.

"Uh…so why are you wearing them again?" Yuujin asked. She wanted a direct answer, not an explanation on why Kumiko had been given the armguards to wear.

"_Because_, Yuujin, for some strange reason, I _feel_ as though he's right; I _should_ wear them. And he said something about Suzaku…"

"Okay…" Yuujin muttered, still not quite getting it.

After a few minutes of uneasy silence, Yuujin looked up again and smiled at her friend. "So, where to?"

* * *

"Kai! What were you thinking?" Takao exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. 

"Calm down, Kinomiya…" Kai replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "I believe Kumiko is perfectly capable of…what I've instructed her to do."

"Well, _I_ think you've gone too far!" Takao shot back, reaching upwards to readjust his baseball cap. "I mean…she's just a _rookie_! She won't be able to walk around properly with those armguards of yours clinging to her arms-"

"She was walking just fine-"

"And besides, she hasn't had any proper training, remember? _How_ can you expect her to pull this one off?"

"Takao, unlike you, I can tell whether or not a blader has the _true_ passion. Kumiko – and her friends, for that matter – is one of those rare ones. Also, she didn't complain when I strapped them onto her for the first time. That means she doesn't object, and it _also_ shows she has yet _another_ trait that is essential to become one of the best bladers around."

"Oh?" A slim, blue eyebrow shot up in disbelief. "And that would be-?"

"Determination. Just as in the finals, she was determined to fight to the end, even when she had made peace with her enemy, I could feel that she was determined to fulfill the tasks I had set out for her."

"And what would those be?" Takao asked scornfully. He, for one, thought that Kai was asking too much of the girl. He thought that it was a good thing Kai wasn't put in charge of training all _four_ members of the new team. "To slowly tear her arms out of their sockets? 'Cause that's what I imagine wearing those armbands of yours are like…"

"In fact, Takao, that's what it feels like for the first few days."

"What?" Max exclaimed, his eyes wide. He had no idea… "But…that's _got_ to hurt!"

"Indeed it does, Max." Kai replied. A small grin played across his lips. "However, recall the saying 'No pain, no gain'. In case you four haven't noticed, it's quite easy to tell when she's about to pull an all-out battle. Whoever their opponents are going to be in the Championships, they're bound to pick up on that, and so they won't be caught off guard during the battle."

"You have a point…" Rei said quietly. "But, still…I don't think you should do it, Kai…"

"And why not?" Kai asked, turning his head to gaze calmly at the neko-jin.

"What if she gets hurt in the process?" Rei asked, looking at the floor. "The BBA will have to answer to that…"

"She _won't_ get hurt…"

"How are you so sure?" Takao asked, skeptical.

"Believe me, I know…I saw the look on her face…" Kai closed his eyes and then leaned against the wall. "And wearing those armbands are necessary…for the day Suzaku finally leaves me for her."

"Why?" Takao calmed down upon being reminded that they were about to lose their bit beasts.

"Neither of you have handled Suzaku before. She's not as powerful as Kuro Suzaku…" Kai was referring to an evil version of his beloved bit beast. Team BBA had seen its power once before – an enormous power that only Kai had been able to control, and even then, not entirely, for it had very nearly taken over him. "But, believe me, Suzaku _is_ powerful,nonetheless; she, too feeds off the strength of the blader."

"So its not just Kuro Suzaku who does that?" Kyouju asked. He stopped encoding the date he'd been typing in and listened, interested now.

"Of course not. In case you haven't noticed, _all_ bit beasts feed off their masters' strength. In any case, _if_ Kumiko keeps doing what she's been doing, Suzaku will be _too_ powerful to control. Remember if you will the time when I _first_ took off my armguards when I was against Takao."

"Yeah! I remember!" Takao exclaimed, his eyes widening at the memory. "The attacks were so…_strong_! And the vibrations could be felt throughout the stadium!"

"Exactly." Kai stated, opening his eyes. "Kumiko hasn't realized that she's been using her full strength the whole time; the Fury launch only adds to the endurance and attack power, but her strength is, essentially, unchanged throughout. Now do you see _why_ she needs this?

"If she gets used to wearing the armbands – _and_ continues to build up her strength using them – she will gradually be able to get powerful launches even while wearing them, and her full strength will only show _when_ she takes them off. Her strength will be _under control_, and so will Suzaku."

"Uh…okay…" Takao muttered, unsure of whether he really understood his captain's explanation or not.

There was silence for several minutes as each blader was lost in his own thoughts, and Kyouju resumed typing. And then Max broke the silence.

"So…how exactly do you plan to train our little 'protégées'?"

* * *

The sky was a clear cerulean blue. Sunlight filtered in through the frosted glass. Everything was quiet except for the chirping of birds in the trees. 

Amethyst pools flickered open, blinking once, twice, three times as they adjusted to the sudden brightness. A slim, pale hand reached up, brushing several stray strands of jet-black hair from her face.

Kumiko yawned loudly and stretched, wondering why her arms ached. They were throbbing, to be sure, but in a pleasant sort of way.

Last night, she and Yuujin had gone to a department store; it had been a Friday, and they had no classes to attend the next day, so decided to just relax a bit. It had been nice to just kick back, enjoying their free time not having to worry about schoolwork. She decided that she was going to have to do this more often.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes once more. She turned her head from side to side, allowing her gaze to glide over everything, as was her 'ritual' in the mornings before she 'officially' got up from bed.

And then she remembered why her arms were throbbing. Kai had given her his red armguards during training, and she had worn them the whole time she and Yuujin were at the department store. _Whenever you get a chance, wear them…_Kai's voice floated through her mind.

She sighed, and then reached for the bathroom doorknob. _No wonder…_she thought, casting a sideward glance at the two armbands. _I'll deal with them later, after a nice, warm bath…_

"Chief? What is the meaning of this?" Takao murmured. He was still quite sleepy, so it came out as "Sheefuh? Wha's th'meang ofis?"

Kyouju shook his friend frantically. "Takao, Kai's called a practice session at the local gymnasium. He said he wants all of us to come, _including_ the four trainees!"

"But why?" the blue-haired teen asked, wide awake this time. "It's a Saturday, for crying out loud! The students need a break!"

"I don't know…" Kyouju replied. "I'm just as puzzled as you are, but I guess we'll find out when we get there."

Takao swung his legs off the bed and onto the floor. He stood up, and then reached for his gray trousers. "Would you mind waiting a few minutes, Kyouju? I still have to change…"

The bespectacled teen grinned. "Sure, Takao. Don't take _too _long, though; I don't want Kai to chew us out for being late…"

"Don't worry, Chief!" Takao said, grinning as he stepped out into the hallway. "Oh, yeah…how are we going to contact Chiaki and the others?"

"I have a feeling Kai's already done it…" Kyouju looked thoughtful. "He called me first thing this morning, and then asked for their phone numbers."

"Okay…"

* * *

"Someone remind me again why we're here?" Taichi asked. He yawned slightly and stretched his arms out to get the kinks out of them. 

Kumiko rubbed her forearm worriedly. She hadn't worn the armguards on her way here; she didn't see any sense in walking down the street with them. But she _had_ brought them along, nonetheless, and she was contemplating whether to put them on _now_, while Kai wasn't there yet, or later on when they were about to start…whatever it was they were here for.

"I've a feeling it's training of some sort…" the amethyst-eyed teen replied. "Kai was the one who phoned me earlier this morning; its _bound_ to be training if it's _Kai_ who calls the meeting."

"Oh, boy…" Chiaki muttered. She sat down on a nearby bench. "What a waste of a perfectly good weekend…"

"Better suck it up, Mikage…" a familiar monotone interrupted from behind them. All four teens whirled around to find Kai already standing at the gymnasium door. Apparently, he'd been inside the whole time and had waited for the four of them to arrive. "Otherwise, you won't last the entire day."

Slowly yet deliberately, he approached Kumiko…and he did _not_ look happy.

_Uh, oh…_Kaito thought. _This doesn't look good…_

The three teens could only watch as the slate-haired blader stopped right in front of Kumiko, his penetrating gaze riveted solely on her.

"Fujiwara, why aren't you wearing the armguards?" Kai's voice was dangerously quiet, almost making the raven-haired teen shrink back in fear. Was he going to punish her for disobeying him? She'd heard stories of how strict he could be, and was suddenly wondering why she hadn't put them on when she left the house.

"_Sensei_, I…thought it would seems strange to walk all the way here wearing them. I brought them with me though, so I can put them on before training starts…"

Instead of replying, Kai nodded his head curtly and then made his way back to the gym entrance, a sign that they should follow him inside now.

Kaito shot a puzzled glance at Kumiko, who glanced back and shrugged, indicating that she herself had no idea why Kai was acting that way. Nevertheless, the four teens followed him into the gymnasium.

Just when they were about to shut the door, a loud cry erupted from behind them. "_Matte_!"

They all turned around to see Takao barreling towards the gym door at full speed, with Kyouju in tow. Taichi, who was closest to the door, quickly grabbed it and held it open for the two teens.

Takao stopped short when he was past the threshold. He leaned against the wall, panting for breath, while beside him, Kyouju adjusted his necktie, which had no doubt come loose while he was being dragged by his friend.

"You were supposed to come immediately, Kinomiya." Kai said. He'd no doubt witnessed their arrival, and he knew that Kyouju was not to blame for their being late. Ever since they had become a team, Takao had been frequently late for meetings and at the airport. It was already a habit; one Kai hoped the blue-haired teen would break soon. "Max and Rei are already here."

"Wha-? How could they get the message before me?" Takao was puzzled.

Kyouju answered this one. "I called Max first and asked him to call Rei for me. I saved you for last because I knew you'd be the hardest to wake."

"Hey, Takao, Kyouju! What took you guys so long?" Another voice joined the conversation. Takao glanced sideways to see Max seated on a bench nearby. The blonde was, as usual, grinning in his cheery way. Max had never been one to be fazed by extra training, seeing it as a chance to hone his already-devastating defensive moves and improve on his newly added offensive ones.

"Hey, Max!" Takao grinned back, not bothering to answer his friend's question.

"Enough with the chitchat." Kai interrupted. He was standing by the door that led to one of the many training rooms within the gym, waiting for the others to catch up. "C'mon, everyone inside. Rei's already in there."

The four teens, who _still_ hadn't said anything, glanced at each other again. What was so important that all four of them, as well as the five members of Team BBA had to be there?

* * *

_Kai's going too fast on this one…_Rei thought as he fiddled with his bandanna. He and Max had been left in the training room to wait for Kai, who had gone outside to watch for the arrival of the four trainees. After a few minutes of waiting, though, Max, too, had gone outside, leaving Rei alone with his thoughts. 

_Why Kai would want to show them the bit beasts, I'll never know…_ Rei's hands dropped to his sides, and he reached into his belt pouch, where he usually kept his Driger MS. His fingers brushed against the cold metal, and he brought out the silver gray blade to examine it.

Byakko. His faithful bit beast had served him well over the years he'd had him. Though Byakko had left him willingly on one occasion, Rei knew that _that_ incident had been his fault, but that did nothing to ease the pain of the brief separation. The neko-jin had taken it in stride, though, and in the end, Byakko had returned to him. Would he be able to take _this_?

The door creaked open, and Rei looked up. In stepped Kai, followed by Takao and Kyouju, and then Max, and then the four trainees.

"Well, it's about time…" Rei grinned as he turned to face them, tucking the Driger MS back into the pouch.

Takao waved. "Hey, Rei. What time did you get here?"

Rei shrugged, grinning. "Around the same time as Max; I'm not entirely sure." He turned to the Kyouju. "Did Sleepyhead here give you a hard time?" he asked. Takao was known to be quite a heavy sleeper; everyone usually had a hard time waking him up, one of the reasons why he – and anyone who had been tasked to rouse him – was late for almost anything.

Kyouju grinned back. "Not really. When I mentioned Kai's name, he nearly bolted out of bed!"

Max chuckled. "Well, at least _now_ we know what to do next time we're trying to wake him…"

Takao pouted. "Gee, thanks, Max."

"If you're all done flapping your lips, we can get started." Kai said, interrupting the conversation once again. Everyone stopped laughing

None of the four trainees had joined the repartee, but they _had _been holding their sides in silent laughter. When they heard the crimson-eyed teen's hard voice, they stopped and stood erect once more, Taichi clearing his throat nervously.

Kai allowed his eyes to roam over the group, briefly taking in that, at the back, Kumiko had snapped shut the last buckle on her armguards. Apparently, he was satisfied.

"Now, I know you're all wondering why I've called you here today."

"Gee, you're so smart…" Takao muttered. He would have said more, but a sharp glance from Kai shut him up instantly.

"A few days ago – the day the training program started, to be precise – my companions and I noticed that each our bit beasts were acting strange, to say the least."

"What do you mean, 'strange'?" Chiaki called out, curious.

"The blades began vibrating, or the bit chips would glow," Kai replied simply. "Whatever it was, this wasn't their usual behavior, so Kyouju did some research."

"And…?" Kaito prompted. He wasn't usually interested in bit beasts, but he had to admit, this was getting interesting.

Kyouju picked up the conversation from here. "I found out that the bit beasts, for some strange reason, had already chosen their next masters."

"'Their next masters'?" Taichi was the next one to ask. He couldn't keep quiet anymore; the question just flew out of his mouth.

"Simply put, the ones who will be able to tap into their abilities and use them to power up their blades." Rei answered this time. He suddenly knew where this was going, and he didn't like it one bit. However, he tried not to show it too much. One glance at Max told him that the blonde had also out the purpose of this 'meeting'.

"Wow…" Kumiko commented, her voice almost a breathless whisper.

"Amazing indeed…" Kai added, walking over to her. He stopped right in front of her, much like he had outside when he confronted her about not wearing the armguards. "Especially since the _four of you_ were the ones chosen to wield them."

There was silence for several moments, and then everyone – at least, the four trainees – began talking at once.

"What do you mean 'we'?"

"You mean…_we_ are the…_chosen ones_?"

"A…_bit beast_? But…I…"

"Impossible…"

Max walked over to Takao and whispered. "They don't look too happy…" he commented, gesturing towards the four teens.

Takao grinned, but his eyes showed confusion. "And here I thought they'd be overjoyed at the news…"

Kyouju had enough sense to try to bring about order. "Everyone! Please! Just…calm down! That's why you're here!"

"Excuse me?" Kumiko asked. The second she heard the bespectacled teen say that that was the reason they had been called to the meeting, she stopped muttering over and over about how impossible it was to be chosen to wield a bit beast.

"Kai's going to explain now why you're here; the bit beast part was just an introduction." Kyouju explained. He understood her distress; he felt almost the same way when he learned that he had made it to the semi-finals two years back.

"Okay."

When everyone else had calmed down, Kai immediately picked up where he'd left off. "Now that everyone's had a chance to express themselves," he began, his voice showing more than a hint of impatience, "allow me to continue. The reason I've called you here is so that we can know for sure whether or not you _have_ been chosen by the beast, and if so, _which_ beast claims you for itself."

"The _beast_ claims us?" Kaito asked contemptuously. He wasn't too keen on the notion that he was only going to be a 'possession'.

Kai didn't waste time answering the question. "What we'll be doing now is: each one of us – Takao, Max, Rei, and I – will release our beast. And then, one of you will approach each beast in turn. If the beast is about to react in a…less than favorable manner, we'll let you know. However, if he – or she, in Suzaku's case-"

"Hang on a second," Chiaki interrupted. "You mean your bit beast is a _girl_?"

"Yes." Kai replied, gritting his teeth to keep from shouting. He really hated having to admit that fact, but not because of the fact itself. He _was_ proud of her really, seeing as she was as powerful, if not more, than her companions (the three other legendary bit beasts); it was the _reactions _of people that got on his nerves. "_Now_," he continued, emphasizing the word. "When the beast reacts in a good way – or _doesn't _react at all – then it's a sign that he _or_ she has chosen you. Any questions?" he looked at each young trainee in turn. No one showed signs of speaking. "Good."

Kyouju, who had taken a seat on the nearby stool, called out, "Ready, everyone?"

"Raring to go, Chief!" Takao exclaimed, grinning widely.

"Ditto for me!" Max piped up, flashing a thumb's-up. Rei grinned and followed suit; Kai merely nodded.

Kyouju was silent as he tapped in the name of the file he was looking for; in a few seconds – thanks to his powerful laptop – the program was up and running. "Okay! Release the bit beasts!"

Almost simultaneously, the four Blade Breakers pulled out their blades and called out their loyal beasts.

"Seiryuu!"

"Genbu!"

"Byakko!"

"Suzaku!"

One by one, as they were summoned, the four majestic beasts slowly rose out their containers. Seiryuu emerged first, a lovely, glimmering sapphire, roaring as he did so. Next came Genbu, alight with an amethyst fire that shimmered pleasantly, several protective spikes protruding from its tail, much like an ancient ankylosaur's. It answered the azure dragon with a call of it's own.

Next to emerge was Byakko, glowing a lovely jade green, its teeth glinting slightly as it growled, acknowledging its might, and the presence of its fellows.

Last, but certainly not the least, was Suzaku. It burst out of it prison with a mighty screech, shrouded in crimson flames portraying its magnificence.

The four majestic beasts turned to face the four 'chosen ones', each one reacting differently. Seiryuu lifted its snout into the air, as if to breathe in, if it could breathe at all, the new scents; Genbu merely cocked its head curiously; Byakko took a step towards the four young ones and growled softly; while Suzaku flexed its wings in impatience.

"Taichi, I suggest you go first." Kyouju said from his seat, his eyes riveted on the screen. "Approach Seiryuu first, then Genbu, Byakko, and Suzaku, in that order."

"But what if Seiryuu…attacks or something?" Taichi asked, trying to keep the trembling out of his voice.

"I'm running a scan that will tell me how Seiryuu – and the others – will react to you. If, as stated before, it will be in a less than friendly manner, I'll warn you. If not, Takao knows his bit beast well enough; he'll be sure to warn you. The same goes for Max, Rei, and Kai."

"Right!" Takao said, rubbing his nose, as was his habit. "Don't worry, Taichi; I won't let Seiryuu hurt you!"

"Thanks…I feel _so_ much better…" The copper-haired teen rolled his eyes, but cautiously approached the shimmering cobalt dragon. "Hey there, Seiryuu…"

Seiryuu swung his head around to face this strange teen, and tasted the air once again. He snorted.

"I think it's best if you move on to Genbu now, Taichi…" Kyouju called.

"Sure, I'll do that…" Taichi muttered. He, too, had seen the look in the great dragon's eye, a look that clearly said 'Beat it, kid!' He turned to face the giant tortoise 1.

Genbu's reaction was different from Seiryuu's. As Taichi approached him, Genbu also moved slowly to meet him. His tail stuck straight out behind him, quivering.

_Wonder what _that_ means?_ Taichi wondered as he gazed into the gentle face of Genbu.

Suddenly, Genbu gave a roar; the image of the turtle distorted until it was nothing more than a lavender light, which arced upward and then dived straight towards the olive-eyed teen. Genbu disappeared into the center of Taichi's blade, which he had been clutching tightly in his palm; only a shower of glittering shards remained where the bit beast had been 'standing'.

"Well, that wouldn't surprise me," Max spoke from his spot on the floor as he watched the display. "You _were_ the one with the highest defensive abilities, Taichi…"

"Er, thanks…" he said, smiling sheepishly. "But I never thought I'd actually _get_ a bit beast to call my own…"

"Well, now you do!" Max said cheerily. He was still trying to come to terms with the fact that he'd be separated from his _other_ best friend – he often referred to Genbu as one of his friends – but he didn't want _that_ to ruin the day.

"Kaito, you're up next." Kyouju said. He _still_ hadn't looked up from his screen. "I want you to approach the bit beasts in the same order, all right?"

"_Hai…_" Kaito quickly got up from his sitting position and slowly approached Seiryuu.

Needless to say, he had to back off quickly; Seiryuu gave a little snort, much like he had with Taichi. Kaito didn't need to be told twice. He moved on to Byakko.

The emerald tiger stared his squarely in the air, before growling twice and leaping into the air, where he dissolved – like Genbu – into pure light and dived downward, coming to rest in the teal blue-eyed teen's blade.

"There are only two bit beasts left…" Rei commented. He noted that it would be hard to pinpoint which one between the two girls Seiryuu would choose. With Genbu and Byakko, it had been pretty easy to tell; as mentioned earlier, Taichi had the highest defensive ratings, and Kaito's blade _had_ been pretty fast. However, Chiaki and Kumiko were nearly matched in stats.

"Chiaki, it's your turn." Kyouju said simply. This time he looked up and seemed pretty surprised to see two of the bit beasts gone; he didn't comment on this, however, but said simply, "Remember, approach Seiryuu first; Suzaku is a little more wary of strangers."

"If you say so…" The ash blonde slowly approached the enormous reptile, her eyes taking in the lethal spikes along its back, its sharp claws. She wondered what would happen if she were caught on the wrong side of those claws and shivered slightly.

Suddenly, she let out a small gasp as Seiryuu stretched out a clawed forearm towards her. She shut her eyes shut and froze in place, almost afraid to move. The great beast breathed out slowly, and then let out a roar, disappearing in the same way as its companions.

Chiaki blinked once, twice, and then opened her eyes. She sighed in relief; she was still in one piece. Seiryuu hadn't been trying to attack her after all. She glanced down at her gleaming white blade and gasped again; the bit chip displayed an imposing cobalt dragon. The center shimmered, as if to give her assurance that everything would be fine.

"Cool." She smiled.

"Well, I guess that clears things up." Kyouju smiled as he shut off the laptop. He was pleased with the results; the bit beasts had reacted as expected. "Kumiko, its safe to approach Suzaku now."

The amethyst-eyed teen took a deep breath to calm herself, and then stepped forward, towards the towering firebird. Suzaku swiveled its head to gaze at its previous master, and then discreetly nodded, as though trying to assure Kai that their separation would not be permanent.

Kai did nothing, but his eyes said it all as he locked gazes with his bit beast. The phoenix turned its head back again towards Kumiko. Meanwhile, the raven-haired teen stood stock-still, as though afraid to startle the bit beast. Then, Suzaku gave a loud screech of approval, stretched out her wings, and flew directly at the girl. Out of pure instinct, Kumiko took a step back.

"No!" Kai called, suddenly afraid. He knew what Suzaku could do to those it deemed unworthy of controlling her. "It's a test, Fujiwara! Suzaku's testing you!"

Hearing this, Kumiko immediately stood straight. Though a look of calm descended upon the teen's face, inside, she was trembling. _What's going to happen?_

Suddenly there was a flash of scarlet light, and Kumiko closed her eyes; it was so bright!

After a few moments, she opened her eyes and glanced at the blade she held in her hand. The phoenix now lay nestled in _her_ bit chip; in fact, Suzaku seemed right at home there, for the beyblade was similar to the one her previous master had used before.

Rei stood up and faced the group. "Well, congratulations, guys!" he said, grinning. He never thought it would work out so well! "You now have your individual bit beasts!"

Takao, whom Kyouju had informed on their way their, now joined the amber-eyed teen in front. "Yeah! That brings us to the _other_ reason you're here. You see-"

Max, who had no desire to just watch the proceedings, joined in. "Now that you have bit beasts, you have to learn to control them. Their power will be useless if you don't know how to use it, right?"

"Yeah…" Chiaki and Taichi answered in unison. They glanced at each other and chuckled. It was as though the timing of their reply had been well rehearsed!

"So what you're saying is…" Kaito began, looking thoughtful as he mulled over what had just happened to them. He still wasn't secure about having a bit beast, even though the idea was exciting.

"You called us here…to help us learn how to control them?" Kumiko finished. She had finally figured it out.

Kai smiled. The trainees caught on fast. "Bingo. Now take out your blades."

"_What_?" The four teens exclaimed.

"You heard me." Kai said, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "_Take out your blades_."

"_Sensei_, may we know why?" Kumiko asked. She still fingered her blade, and she was gazing at it softly.

"Very well, Fujiwara…" Kai smiled, but it wasn't a pleasant one. "_You _shall be the first one to launch your blade."

"Where, sir?" the amethyst-eyed teen inquired, reaching into her pocket for her launcher as she spoke.

The slate-haired blader gestured towards a nearby dish. "You shall launch here."

"Okay…and who's going to be my opponent?" Kumiko attached her blue blade to the launcher, a grin playing across her features.

"You will face _me_." Kai said, smirking. He couldn't wait to witness _this_ battle. He didn't like the tone he heard in the young girl's voice. It was one of overconfidence, something that would have to be changed if she were to be able to handle Suzaku. _One _match would be all he needed to prove his point.

Kumiko said nothing as she approached the dish and faced Kai. Without saying a word, both bladers moved, Kumiko into her 'Fury Launch' position; Kai in the usual stance.

"Do you think its okay for _her_ to face off against _Kai_?" Max leaned towards Kyouju, who was staring fixedly at the pair.

"I honestly don't know, Max…" the mousy-haired teen replied, turning to face his sapphire-eyed friend. "But Kai wouldn't challenge her if it wasn't necessary…he has something in mind, I'm sure."

"Yeah, that's all fine and dandy, Chief…" Takao cut in, scowling. "But he could have picked any one of us to battle Kumiko; why him alone?"

"Perhaps its because of the fact that he used to control Suzaku," Rei said, abruptly joining the conversation. "I can't explain it very well, but I can _feel_ that it has something to do with the bit beast."

"And how do you know _that_, Rei?" Takao turned his face towards the neko-jin.

"Because of that." Rei said, pointing a finger towards the dish where Kai and Kumiko were now battling.

"Huh?" Takao turned around again. To his surprise, he could see Kai's blade spinning steadily in the center of the dish, and the slate-haired teen seemed completely at ease, even though he didn't have his bit beast anymore.

On the other hand, Kumiko's blade was running circles around the stadium, sometimes moving from side to side rather jerkily. Kumiko herself seemed to be having a hard time. Her face was scrunched up in concentration as she tried to control the blade.

"C'mon, Suzaku!" she said, frustrated. "Attack!" Though the jet black-haired girl said it as forcefully and as confidently as she could, the blade refused to budge.

"Do you see now, Fujiwara?" Kai asked quietly, his gaze fixed upon the dish and his blade. "You're only halfway there. You have the skills, yes, but you don't have the ability or the knowledge to be able to control the blade with a bit beast residing in it." Suddenly, Kai's blade, the Dranzer MS, moved from its spot at lightning speed and shot towards Kumiko's.

"Ah!" Kumiko's eyes widened as her blade wobbled dangerously close to the edge. _I can't lose this one,_ she thought, frantic. _Not in front of the team!_

"Let this be a lesson, Fujiwara!" Kai was saying as his blade dealt out a flurry of powerful attacks, pushing the Dranzer F closer and closer to the edge of the dish. "Just because you have a bit beast doesn't mean that it will instantly fall under _your_ control; you need to learn _how_ to respond to it. You must _also_ know what it expects from you."

"What…it expects…from _me_?" Kumiko mumbled faintly. And then she narrowed her eyes and smiled. "I think I get what you're trying to say, _sensei_…"

Suddenly, Kumiko's blade stopped moving aimlessly around the dish, being pushed by Kai's blade. In fact, it gave a little push of its own!

"What the-?" Chiaki exclaimed, her eyes wide. The Dranzer F had just responded accordingly to Kumiko's will!

"Unbelievable!" Max exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with happiness. "She learned how to control it, just like _that_!"

Takao's eyes were wide, too, and he stood still, unable to believe. "How…how'd that happen?"

"That's what _I'd_ like to know!" Kyouju added as he opened his laptop. He quickly turned on the power and ran another program. "It seems that Kumiko's somehow been able to tap into Suzaku's spiritual vibrations, allowing her to control the blade _and_ the beast!"

"But…so soon?" Rei was incredulous. It seemed there was no end to the surprises this rookie blader held!

"I'm still trying to find the explanation, Rei…" Kyouju immediately closed the program he was running and opened yet another one.

At the dish, Kai was also taken aback at what had happened. However, he recovered fairly quickly and began to fight back.

"Well, Fujiwara, I must admit, I _am_ impressed," he said, taking his eyes off the battling blades for a few moments. "Not many bladers at your level would be able to at least _partially_ control a newly-acquired bit beast as quickly as you seem to have…"

"_Arigato gozaimasu_, _sensei_…" Kumiko replied, smiling back at him.

"But I doubt you have what it takes to finish the job!" Kai continued. At that the Dranzer MS shot straight up, and then dived towards the F-series blade.

"No! Dranzer F, move!" Kumiko attempted to get her blade to avoid the would-be devastating attack, but to no avail. There was a loud _thwack_, and then her blue blade went spinning into the air, to land silently at her feet, as though willingly admitting defeat.

"I…I lost?" Kumiko whispered, half to herself. She though she'd gotten it! Only _moments_ ago she had managed to make Suzaku obey her! What had gone wrong? She bent down to pick up her Dranzer, and then moved to tuck it back into her pocket along with her launcher.

"I didn't say you could put those away…" Kai said suddently. Kumiko glanced up, puzzled.

"_Nani_?"

Kai threw her a long, hard look. "We're not yet finished, Fujiwara," he turned to address the group. "Now you've all seen what happens when one isn't trained to handle a bit beast properly…"

"_Hai…_" the three teens answered in unison, looking apprehensive. Were they next?

"Now, I want the three of you to pair off with your personal trainers. They will be the ones to instruct you on how to tap into your bit beasts. Understood?" He gazed at each of them in turn, as though daring them to respond. When none did, he nodded curtly, and then turned to face the opposite direction. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Max, Takao, and Rei going off in different directions, their respective trainees close on their heels. He turned his attention back to the amethyst-eyed girl.

"Well, Fujiwara?" He stopped walking when he was once more on the opposite side of the dish from her. "Shall we begin your lesson?"

"_Hai_!" Kumiko replied, a determined grin on her face. _I'll do whatever it takes...to prove that I'm worthy!_

_

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_

A/N: No parting message for this chapter, guys! I've got other stuff to do! Read and review, minna! Peace out! Dewa matta!


	7. Chapter 6: The Tournament

A/N: After so long, it's another chapter! Hehehe...I would have finished this earlier if I hadn't had to change computers; I left my old one at home, and I'm in a completely different city now - 1,940 kilometers away from home, to be exact. But it's not entirely my fault...

Mei: Yeah! You had to think up the names for the participating teams 'cause not one reviewer gave any ideas...

Me: But's its okay; I managed, right? And it didn't affect my studies! (Not used to long breaks...) Oh, and I know I got you guys losta few chapters back when I suddenly switched to Seiryuu, Suzaku, etc. Well, from here on end,whenever the chapter mentions 'Dragoon', 'Draciel', etc.,I'm referring to the Beyblade; 'Suzaku, 'Byakko', and so on, I'm referring to the bit beast. Got it?Okay, onto the fic!

Disclaimer: ...and I thought you knew by now...

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**Chapter 6: The Tournament **

"Oh, Kumiko, I'm so excited!" Yuujin exclaimed, clinging tightly to her friend's hand. "The first Junior Championships!"

"Yeah, I know!" Kumiko replied, grinning. She hitched up her duffel bag and glanced up at the huge dome they were now facing. "And here I thought it was just a crazy dream, me actually acquiring Suzaku and – OW!" she suddenly yelped and rubbed her forearm, where Yuujin had pinched her. Hard.

"Well, now you _know_ it's not a dream!" The auburn-haired teen replied, giggling.

"Yeah, thanks a lot…" the raven-haired teen muttered, staring daggers at her companion – who, fortunately, didn't notice. Suddenly, Yuujin grabbed Kumiko's wrist and started jumping around.

"Look! Over there! There are the others!" She practically yelled. Kumiko put a hand over her ear and grimaced, but looked off in the direction her friend had been pointing. About ten meters away were Chiaki, Taichi, and Kaito.

"No need to tell me in stereo…" she said, grinning good-naturedly at her friend. "All you had to do was point them out; I'm sure I would have spotted them myself."

Yuujin looked sheepish. "Hehe…oops?"

Presently, the three other teens who made up the Sento-Sasaki school team joined the two, who were about to enter. Chiaki smiled at Yuujin.

"Yuujin! I didn't know you would be here!" she said, apparently pleased to see _more_ than one familiar face in the crowd.

The aqua-eyed teen grinned back. "Well, I just wanted to come to, you know, cheer you guys on. After all, what's a school team without supporters?"

"You're right there, Yuujin-san!" Kaito said.

"In fact, I think the entire year made it here…" the auburn-haired teen continued, as though she hadn't heard anything. "And a couple of teachers, too…See? There's Nanasawa-_sensei_!" she pointed out their sandy-haired PE instructor.

"Oh, boy…" Kumiko groaned, blowing a couple of stray strands out of her eyes. "Just what I need: the whole batch – and a couple of teachers – here to watch us battle…Great…"

All of a sudden, Yuujin started running towards the entrance, inadvertently dragging her friend along. "C'mon, let's go inside now so you guys can register!"

"Ah!"

Chiaki shook her head, chuckling, before going after the two. "Wait up!" she called. Kaito and Taichi looked at each other and shrugged before following suit, crossing the threshold into the large reception hall cum lobby, where they would no doubt register their team.

Kumiko and Yuujin reached the registration table, surprising the dozing BBA official. "Excuse me, sir, is this where we register?" Yuujin asked, finally letting go of poor Kumiko's hand.

The BBA official nodded and smiled. He handed her a pen. "Yup! Here you go!" He pushed a sheet of paper towards her and pointed towards the line near the top of the page. "Just put your team name here, and the school you represent below it. Afterwards, fill in the members' names in the boxes here and indicate their position-"

"'Position'?" Yuujin looked puzzled as she grasped the pen offered her.

The official - a jolly-looking, blue-black haired man – smiled at her. "By position, I mean the part they play on the team, meaning whether or not that particular person is going to be a regular competitor or a substitute. There may be only one substitute per team; it's competition protocol. Oh, and you should also indicate who is the team captain."

"I see…" Yuujin looked thoughtful for a moment, and then she turned to Kumiko and thrust the pen into her hand. "Kumiko, here," she said, pushing her friend forward. "I think _you_ should be the one to fill in the registration form."

"Huh?" Kumiko looked startled, since she had only just recovered from running after her hyperactive friend. She glanced down at the paper, and then, after a moment's pause, bent over it and began to write.

Suddenly, Chiaki was beside her, reading what the raven-haired teen was writing. "So, who are the regulars, Ms. Team Captain?" she asked, startling Kumiko and causing her to drop the pen.

"Chiaki…" the amethyst-eyed blader pouted as she bent down to retrieve the pen. "I was writing! You shouldn't disturb someone while he – or she – is writing!" She straightened up and grinned mischievously at her teammate. "But it _is_ going to be obvious after I indicate the substitute…" She began to write again.

"_You_?" Kaito, who had suddenly joined them, exclaimed after he read what Kumiko had written. "Why are you going to be only the _substitute_?"

"Yeah, Kumiko-san…" Taichi added in between bites of a candy bar he had gotten from the vending machine. "We've all seen how you blade; you shouldn't confine yourself to being a sub."

"Well, I don't like being focused on," Kumiko said, putting down the pen and turning to face her companions. "Besides, I don't think I'd enjoy being a regular very much." She began to walk off in the direction of the main corridor when the BBA official stopped her.

"Hang on a second," he said, quickly scanning the form. "You haven't completed the form; I still need your team name."

Kumiko turned and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, but we haven't had time to discuss the possibilities of a team name. Is it all right if we don't put one down yet?The official shook his head. "Unfortunately, we're now requiring every team to have a name at the beginning of every tournament. It makes the process easier…"

Everyone was quiet, thinking up possible names – well, except for Taichi, who was crunching the last of his candy bar while he thought.

The official chuckled. "I can see your trainers forgot to give you that little detail." He went behind the registration desk and rummaged in a drawer for a few minutes before pulling out a rather rumpled sheet of paper. "For the Junior Championships, the BBA decided that team names would have a common theme. For this year, it's 'Mythical Animals'." He looked up from the paper and smiled at them once more. "I hope that helps…"

"It sure does!" Yuujin exclaimed, lunging for the pen and registration form, and nearly knocking Kumiko down in the process.

"Hey! Watch it!" The amethyst-eyed teen protested, nimbly stepping out of the way. Yuujin gave a sheepish grin, shrugged her shoulders as if to say 'I'm sorry', turned back to the table and began to scribble furiously on the form.

Chiaki leaned forward to read what the auburn-haired girl had written. "Nice…" she commented, grinning.

"What's it say?" Taichi asked, trying to read what was on the paper, but Yuujin had already given it back to the helpful official.

"So, let me get this straight. You are Team Phoenix, and you represent Sento-Sasaki Senior High?"

Only Yuujin and Chiaki nodded at first, then Kumiko spoke up. "Err…yes, sir." At that, the two boys nodded, indicating that the man should continue, which he did. "Your team captain is Fujiwara Kumiko, who will also be your substitute. The three members _and _regular competitors are Mikage Chiaki, Matsuo Kaito, and Shimamoto Taichi?" Once again he looked to the four teens for confirmation and got it.

"All right, then! Off you go!" he indicated a glass door behind him. "The competitors' entrance is that way. Go down the corridor until you see a door marked 1-A. That's your 'waiting room', since that is where you guys will be staying while waiting for your team to be called onto the competition ground."

"_Domo arigato gozaimasu_!" Kumiko said, bowing slightly. Her companions did the same, and the official returned the gesture in kind.

"_Do itashimashita_." He said, smiling.

The five teens made their way over to the glass door and were about to step through it when they – rather, Kumiko heard a familiar voice.

"_Boku o matte kudasai_!" a rather shrill voice rang out across the lobby, causing the amethyst-eyed teen to turn and search for the source. She spotted Shun, running towards them, his glasses balanced precariously near the end of his nose. Kumiko saw that he wouldn't be able to stop in time, and so held the door wide open for him. Sure enough, the bespectacled teen skidded to a stop _inside_ the inner corridor that led to the different waiting rooms.

"Th-thanks…" he said, panting slightly.

"No problem," Kumiko said as she let go of the door, allowing it to swing shut behind her. "Why were you running anyway? And what are you doing here?"

"Well, I knew you guys were going to be here today – what with the tournament preliminaries and all – and I figured 'Why not go?' Besides, it would be a great opportunity to augment my blader archive."

"Oh, that…" Kumiko said. She coughed a few times in order to hide her chuckles, recalling that Shun's 'archive' contained only _one_ profile: hers. "Anyway, glad to have you aboard. The room's this way," she said, leading the charcoal brown-haired teen down the corridor. Apparently, her friends were already in the room and were waiting for her.

_What was the room number again?_ she thought, racking her brains for the information. Then her face brightened. _Oh, yeah! Room 1-A!_ She quickened her pace, and poor Shun had to half-jog just to keep up with her. When they arrived outside the assigned room, the bespectacled teen was rather out of breath.

"Hey! What's _he _doing here?" Chiaki asked rather loudly when she spotted Shun enter the room.

"Oh, sorry." Kumiko smiled apologetically. "I forgot. Guys, this is Tadehiko Shun, our resident, um…Beyblade researcher. He's here to update his blader archives." She turned to the charcoal brown-haired teen. "Shun, these are my teammates: Mikage Chiaki, Matsuo Kaito, and Shimamoto Taichi."

"Hey, Shun!" Yuujin waved at the newcomer from her spot near the vending machine. "Remember me?"

Shun smiled, glad to see another familiar face. "Yes, of course I do, Yuujin."

"So…your name's Shun, right?" Taichi asked, eager to break the ice.

Shun nodded; the copper-haired teen took a breath and continued.

"All right. How did you get interested in Beyblade researching?"

"Well, it's pretty hard to say…" Shun said slowly, adjusting his glasses as he sat down on a vacant seat at the table that was located roughly in the center of the room. "I guess I was simply interested in Beyblading at first, but as it turns out, I'm not exactly the athletic type. So I turned to researching, so I could help any friends of mine – who became bladers – to hone their skills and achieve their 'ideal' blade."

"I see…" Kaito said, nodding his head to show he understood.

Kumiko took a seat at the other end of the table and took out her Dranzer F from her pocket. From the left pocket, she took out a small piece of cloth and what looked like a travel-size tube of toothpaste. Very slowly, she squeezed a small amount of the tube's contents onto a corner of the cloth and began to rub it all over her Beyblade.

"Hey, Kumiko, what are you doing?" Chiaki asked, who had noticed the raven-haired teen's actions.

"I'm cleaning my blade with this special cleaning fluid." Kumiko said without looking up from what she was doing. "My blade got all scratched up when I was training yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Taichi was confused. "But…yesterday was our day off, remember?"

"I know." Kumiko said, smiling. "I just felt like training, that's all."

"Trained for five hours straight, she did." Yuujin said rather cheerfully as she popped open a can of soda. "I know 'cause I called her house at around five PM; her aunt answered and said that Kumiko was still training."

"Uh…okay…" Kaito said, looking rather taken aback at this display of determination. _Who the heck trains for five hours straight?_ He glanced at Taichi; the olive-eyed teen shrugged. Kaito then glanced back at Kumiko, who was still busy cleaning her blade. _But if she's _that_ dedicated…_ the teal-eyed teen thought as he allowed a small smile to creep onto his face. _It's a shame she elected herself as only a sub, though…

* * *

_

"Do you think they've arrived already?" Takao asked as he glanced at the huge, metallic dome that loomed directly ahead of them. "I mean, a lot of people have passed by and we haven't seen them yet…"

"Don't worry, Takao!" Max said, slapping his friend on the back. "I'm sure they're around here, somewhere!" The blonde teen looked towards the entrance, where a lot of people were milling around; no doubt most of them were participants in the Junior Championships. "Hey! I know! Let's inquire at the registration desk. If they're here, they would've signed up already."

"Good suggestion, Max." Kai said, striding quickly over to the small crowd gathered at the entrance; he seemed to just melt into the throng.

For a few moments, Takao and his companions just stood there, staring at the place where Kai was standing. Then, the steel blue-eyed teen shrugged and smiled at his friends. "C'mon, guys! If we don't move now, we'll _never _find Kai in that crowd!"

"Right!"

In minutes, the foursome found themselves inside the threshold and in front of the registration area. Kai was there, too, and he was talking to the registration official.

"Hmm…Fujiwara Kumiko?" the official looked thoughtful. "Hang on a minute; I think she might have registered earlier this morning…"

"'_Might _have'?" Kai looked dubious.

"Let me check my files…" the official disappeared under the table, apparently looking for something, and then reappeared moments later, a single sheet of paper in hand. "Here we are!" he said a little _too_ cheerfully. He laid the paper on the desk. "Is that them?" he asked, using his finger to point out the names listed.

Kai was silent as he scanned the sheet of paper, and then he glanced back up. "Their room number, please."

"I'm sorry, Hiwatari-_san_, _demo_-"

"My companions and I need to see them immediately, sir." Kai cut in, his voice dangerously calm. "We're their _trainers_."

"Oh!" the official looked surprised, then calmed right down. "If that's the case…they've been assigned to room 1-A. They were, after all, the first ones to register."

"Hmm…rather prompt…" Rei observed.

"It's right through there, and then down the hallway." The official said, pointing out the glass door that Team BBA recognized immediately as the competitors' entrance.

"_Domo._" Kai said, bowing slightly to the BBA official as a sign of respect; the smiling, dark-haired man returned the gesture. Kai moved towards the double glass doors, and the others followed suit.

"Kai, why did you say we _needed_ to see them?" Takao asked as he caught up with the slate-haired teen. Kai didn't reply. "Never mind…" Takao muttered.

* * *

"There! All done." Kumiko said, putting down her blade and replacing the cleaning fluid and cloth in her pocket. 

"Well, Kumiko, that special fluid must really work…" Chiaki commented as she approached the teen and picked up the Dranzer blade to examine it. "There's not one shred of dirt – not even a scratch – on your blade!"

"I'm glad to hear that, Chiaki," Kumiko replied, leaning back and stretching. "I wasn't sure at first if what they advertised was true or not; I guess it's the former." The amethyst-eyed teen reached back into her pocket. "Want to try it out?" she asked, holding the cleaning materials in her outstretched palm.

Chiaki took the tube of cleaning fluid and the cloth from her team captain. "Thanks. I guess…my blade could use some cleaning."

"No problem. We _do_ have to show our opponents that they're not facing amateurs." Kumiko said, grinning. "Of course, if our blades our squeaky clean, then they might think that we've never bladed a day in our lives…"

"Hold on…" Taichi interrupted suddenly. "You want them to _underestimate_ us?"

Kumiko nodded. "Yup!"

"I don't get it…" Yuujin muttered from her seat near the vending machine. She sipped a little of her soda; she'd already drunk half of it.

"Why would you want our opponents to think we don't blade well?" Kaito asked. "I thought you want our opponents to see us as formidable!"

"Don't worry, Matsuo; Fujiwara knows what she's saying." A familiar voice joined in the conversation. Everyone turned to find Team BBA standing in the doorway; it was Kai who had spoken.

"In fact, underestimating the enemy is the worst mistake you can make," Max said, a huge grin on his face. "That is, if _you're_ the one who makes the mistake. If you're opponent makes that mistake, then so much the better for you."

Chiaki nodded. "I think I see what you're saying. If our opponents underestimate us, then they won't put much power behind they're attacks, since they think it'll be an easy win-"

"And in doing so, we finish them off that more easily." Kaito finished; he, too, had understood. "Okay, why not try it, then?"

"Let me at that cleaner!" Taichi said jokingly, making a wild grab for the tiny tube.

"Hang on! I wasn't finished with that!" Chiaki said, snatching it up and placing it on the table further away from the overeager teen.

Max grinned, pleased to find the new team so at ease with one another after only a few weeks. _Kind of reminds me of us…_the sapphire-eyed teen thought. _They even have a laptop-toting kid with them, and a girl tags along for the heck of it…_he added, noting the presence of Yuujin and Shun. Aloud he said, "So, you guys ready for the tournament?"

Taichi nodded vigorously. "Yup! Ready and raring to go, Max!"

The blonde chuckled lightly. "Glad to see some enthusiasm, Taichi!"

On the other side of the table, Kumiko pushed back her chair and stood up. She uttered a simple "Excuse me." before she made her way out into the corridor.

There was silence for several minutes before Yuujin spoke up. "Oookay…what was _that_ all about?"

* * *

Kumiko dropped her small backpack – she'd dropped her duffel bag off in the room assigned to her (tournament participants were provided with a room of their own, since the event could go on for days at a time) and glanced around, taking in her surroundings. It was a clean, grassy field, and a single, dying tree stood in the distance. There was no wind to rustle the leaves and caress her cheek and tease her hair, but that was just fine with her; she wasn't in the mood for any of those. 

The amethyst-eyed teen sighed before settling down among the grass, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She became as still as the rock beside her, only she was breathing.

Presently, she reached into her bag and brought out the red armguards Kai had given her. Slowly, she strapped them on; they did nothing to impede her movement, for whether she liked it or not, she had grown used to wearing them whenever she was training. She then reached into her cargo pocket – she had worn her favorite cargoes and a black tank top with a flame design on the left side – and brought out her blade. Solemnly she stared at the image depicted in the bit.

_Suzaku…_

She sighed again. She and her teammates and newfound friends had learned to control their bit beasts just last week. Now she wondered if other teams would have their own bit beasts as well; also, was their training enough that they would emerge as champions? Their whole school was counting on them, after all.

She frowned at herself for thinking such negative thoughts. She stood up, the Dranzer F clutched tightly in her fist. _Of _course_ it's enough,_ she thought furiously. _In fact, it's _more_ than enough!_ Angrily she reached into the red belt pouch she'd worn at her back and extracted her launcher and ripcord.

Turning to face the lone, withering tree, she attached the blade to the launching apparatus. She counted silently in her head before releasing it with a loud cry.

Kumiko's Dranzer was hardly visible as it sped towards the gnarled trunk, but there was a grinding and crunching sound upon impact. Moments later, a blue blur sped back towards the raven-haired teen; Kumiko stepped slightly to the side and held a hand up to stop the object, which turned out to be her blade. Shortly afterwards, groaning in protest, the old tree keeled over sideways and fell, with a muffled thud, on the grass. Kumiko smiled a rather dangerous smile as she pocketed her equipment and bent down to retrieve her backpack.

_Definitely more than enough…_

As she turned and walked away from the field, she failed to notice the metallic glint of a camera lens concealed amongst the leaves of a nearby bush.

_

* * *

THUD! The old, twisted, dying tree fell to the ground. With a whine, the film stopped rolling, and the screen automatically switched itself off. _

"Well, sir?" a thirty-something man, dressed in a suit and lab coat, turned towards the far wall of the small room. Apparently, it was another man he was speaking to, only hidden in the shadows.

From the corner came the answer, in the form of a cold, clear, and dangerously quiet voice. "Hmm…interesting…"

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen!" DJ Jazzman's voice echoed throughout the stadium. "Today is a very special day for the blading world. For the first time, we will be holding the JUNIOR BEYBLADE CHAMPIONSHIPS!" 

As usual, the crowd went wild, cheering and calling raucously.

"Yes, folks," Jazzman continued, disregarding the crowd's reaction. "For five months now, several world-class championships teams have been training the best four students from schools around the country. The time has come to identify Japan's up-and-coming championship team! Let's give it up for them, people!"

With a flourish, the announcer produced a sheet of paper, no doubt a copy of the list containing the names of the teams and the schools they represented.

"And now, boys and girls, give it up for these up-and-coming teams!" Almost all the lights in the dome went dark, except for the huge, glaring spotlights. "Representing Shiritsu Daitou Fuji High, we have…Team Griffin!"

A passionate burst of applause rang out from the section almost directly behind the announcer's platform – apparently from Shiritsu Daitou – as a spotlight shone on the participants' entrance opposite the platform.

"From Saikyoku View, let's welcome _Team Sphinx_!" Once more, vigorous clapping burst out, this time from the section above the participants' entrance.

"From Jonan Senior High, give it up for…Team Leviathan!"

While waiting for their turn to go up the platform, Kumiko was lost in her own thoughts – her teammates were clapping for those already introduced; the ebony-haired teen didn't hear the names of the other teams as they were called and she _also_ didn't hear when it her own team's turn.

A tug on her arm brought her back to reality; she glanced up, confused. "Huh?"

It was Chiaki. "Kumiko, c'mon! The announcer's called our school now!"

"Ah! _Gomen_!" Kumiko quickly got up from the chair she'd been sitting on and made her way to the entrance, stopping only to wait for her companions. She was immediately blinded by the spotlight when she stepped out, and winced as the announcer's voice came blaring over the PA system.

"Once more, folks, representing Sento-Sasaki Senior High, here's…_Team Phoenix_!"

After a few minutes, the introductory phase was over; all the teams had been announced and the rules explained. Chiaki, Kaito, Kumiko, and Taichi made their way to their waiting room to await the tournament announcements – who they would be battling and when.

"Well? When's your first match?" Yuujin asked excitedly, practically jumping up off her chair the moment they came in.

Kumiko chuckled. "Uh…unfortunately, we don't know yet."

"But don't worry," Taichi added, grinning. "They'll announce it soon enough."

"I can't wait to see you guys in action!" Yuujin squealed, launching herself onto both Chiaki and Kumiko.

"Ack!" The wielders of Seiryuu and Suzaku exclaimed in unison as they fell to the floor, their friend on top of them.

Max chuckled. "Well, _that_ certainly reminds me of something…" he said, tilting his head towards Takao, who stood beside him.

The stormy-eyed teen grinned. "Yeah! Who'd have thought that someone out there could get as hyper as you?" In one of the tournaments Team BBA had participated in, Max had once knocked his teammates down due to excitement – well, he only knocked down Takao and Kai, actually; Rei had managed to get out of the way in time.

"Um, Yuujin? Do you mind?" Kumiko asked, gesturing for her friend to get off. "You're about to cut off the circulation in my arm…"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, guys…" Yuujin said, getting up abruptly and then helping the other two girls to their feet.

"Yuujin, do you know how heavy you are?" Chiaki asked, wincing as she rubbed her side.

"Nope!" came the reply, and the ash blonde-haired teen sighed.

"Oh, brother…"

"Only difference is, Kai practically shoved you off, didn't he?" Takao asked. The blonde nodded, still grinning at the memory.

"Yeah, but at least he didn't _punch_ me off!"

"Good point."

"Hey, guys, I think they're about to announce the tournament schedule," Shun piped up from behind the group. The five teens turned to look, as did the members of Team BBA. On the wall opposite them, a television set had been mounted, so that teams could watch the various matches going on; it also had a DVD/VCD/CD/Mp3 player attached to it, as well as a cable hook-up – in case the occupants of a room weren't interested in the tournament while not participating yet.

Sure enough, DJ Jazzman's face appeared on-screen. "The committee has finished arranging our sixteen Junior Championship teams into two blocks: Block A and Block B." The camera zoomed back to include the giant announcement screen – and scoreboard – built into the wall behind the announcer's platform. On it were thirty or so little boxes with white lines attaching each one. Apparently, this was to be 'tournament schedule' – a term for the list of which teams would fight each other.

"I think it's quite obvious how many teams there are in a block. As you can see, the winning team from Block A will battle the winning team from Block B, and whoever wins that match will be declared champion!" DJ Jazzman continued, stretching an arm out to indicate to screen. "So, without further ado, I will now announce the teams in each block!"

The announcer whipped a sheet of paper from out of nowhere, took a deep breath, and began to read out loud. "Teams Basilisk, Centaur, Cyclops, Griffin, Hydra, Kraken, Medusa, and Pegasus, you will all be in Block A! Now, please make your way to the stadiums. Your preliminary matches will begin in a few minutes' time." There was a short pause as he scanned the list again, and then continued, "Teams Anubis, Chimera, Dragon, Fury, Leviathan, Minotaur, Phoenix, and Sphinx, you will make up Block B! Please settle down and be patient; your preliminaries will take place after those in Block A have finished theirs."

Shun reached for the remote and switched off the TV. "Well, I guess that settles it," he said, turning to the members of Team Phoenix. "You have around four hours, counting lunch-break or something, before your preliminary matches."

"Four hours can be a long time when you're in a tournament," Rei added, smiling kindly at their protégées. "So…what will you be doing?" he asked.

Taichi grinned. "Easy. I'm gonna take a nap." He pocketed his blade and stretched. "See you guys at lunchtime," he muttered before heading into the inner room, where they knew comfortable couches had been set up.

Takao chuckled. "Man, he sounds more like me than he does Max!"

Kyouju laughed, too, then turned to the three remaining members. "Well, Taichi's answered the question. What about you three?"

Kaito looked thoughtful. "I don't know yet…but Shun, do you mind if I take over the TV for a while? I'd like to see if there are any good movies on.

Shun smiled and shook his head. "Nah, it's all right, Kaito. Go ahead."

"I think I'll go for a walk," Chiaki was saying. "I don't want to stay here all day!"

"I'll go with you!" Yuujin replied. "I'm bound to get bored soon if I stay behind."

"All right," the ash-blonde agreed, smiling. She turned to her silent captain, as she liked to refer to Kumiko, if only in her mind. "How about you, Kumiko?"

The raven-haired girl looked up. "Eh?"

"Yuujin and I are going for a walk while waiting for our block preliminaries to start. Do you want to come?"

Kumiko smiled. "Ah, no thanks, guys. I think I'll stay here and…train, probably."

"_What_?" Chiaki exclaimed, shocked. "You're going to _train_ for _four_ whole hours?"

Purple orbs twinkled merrily as the holder of the phoenix laughed. "I'm not going to train for four hours, Chiaki! I'm not _that_ insane!" At the look of disapproval forming on the emerald-eyed, Kumiko waved away the comment she knew was coming. "Go on, take your walk already. I'll be fine! I just don't really feel like going out today…"

"Um…if you say so, Kumi…" Yuujin said, pouting slightly. "Just don't overdo yourself in training, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, Yuujin, I won't…"

In a few minutes, the two girls were gone, leaving Kumiko in the company of Team BBA.

Takao sat down on the seat that Yuujin had vacated. "Are you sure you won't go with them, Kumiko. You can still catch up with them…"

"Nah, it's okay, Kinomiya-_sensei_," Kumiko replied. "Like I said, I'd much rather put the extra four hours to good use and train, even if I'm only the substitute-"

"-Though we really would like to have her change her mind and become a regular competitor…" Kaito spoke up, not taking his eyes off the movie he was watching.

"Hang on a sec," Max held up a hand for emphasis as he glanced at the team captain. "Kumiko, am I hearing right? You registered as a sub?"

The amethyst-eyed teen nodded. "Yup! I don't like being in the spotlight very much, Mizuhara-_sensei_…"

"But…" Takao started, eyes wide. "With your skills, you guarantee an almost easy win for your team. Why be a sub?"

Kumiko shrugged, walked over to the chair where she'd left her backpack, and picked it up. She didn't glance at anyone as she spoke. "Well…I'm sure they'll do fine, with or without my help. They're just as capable as I am. Besides, where's the victory for the team if _I_'m always the one who fishes them out of sticky spots?" Then she turned around, a small smile on her face, and glanced at Kai. "Also, wasn't Hiwatari-_sensei_, who was your captain, the team substitute, too?"

Kai smirked when she said this. "She has a point…"

"Yeah, but just because she holds Suzaku now doesn't mean she _has _to follow in your footsteps, right?" Takao returned.

"I'm not doing this merely to imitate Hiwatari-_sensei_," Kumiko cut in, stepping forward as she did so. "But also for the good of the team. Don't you think it's better if the other teams don't see _everything _that Team Phoenix is capable of?"

"You've thought this over, haven't you?" Rei asked. Kumiko nodded, and Rei smiled. "Well, then, it's settled. Kumiko-_san_, I think you'd better get started with your training, if that's what you _really_ want to do, so that you can take an early lunch and you'll be better rested, whether you partake in any matches or not."

"_Hai_!" The raven-haired girl shrugged on her backpack, bowed, and made her way towards the door,

Kai's crimson gaze followed her all the way.

* * *

_Crash!_

A cloud of dust blew up around the fallen tree, and a small, blue blur sped out towards the silent figure a few meters away.

Kumiko held up a hand and caught her blade before it could spin out of her reach. _That's Tree Number Three…_ she thought, satisfied with her performance so far.

"Impressive, to say the least."

Kumiko whipped around at the sound of the familiar voice. "Hiwatari-_sensei_!"

Kai came out from his hiding place – a rather foreboding-looking oak – and came closer to the girl. "I see you've improved somewhat. You've managed to fell three trees – and rather hardy ones, I may add."

"_A-arigatou_, _sensei_…" Kumiko looked away, embarrassed even though she and Kai were the only two people there.

"Take off your armbands."

The ebony-haired girl looked up quickly. "_Nani_?"

The crimson-eyed teen was smirking now. "I said take off your armbands, Kumiko; I want to see just how much you've improved…"

* * *

"So…she's been training with Kai," the hidden voice commented as its owner watched the video playing out on the screen. "That would explain her prowess…" 

"What do you suggest be done, sir?" The attendant asked, turning towards the spot where the voice came from.

"We wait…"

* * *

"_Gambatte_, _minna_!" Yuujin called as Team Phoenix made its way towards the participants' entrance. 

"We'll be watching you from here!" Shun added, referring to the television set in the team room.

The four teens, plus their trainers, stepped out into the competition area, and without a word, Kai led his team towards the trainers' box while Kumiko led _her_ team up onto the platform.

"Team 7 from Block B, ladies and gentlemen!" DJ Jazzman began the minute they stepped on the platform. "They are made up of Team Captain Fujiwara Kumiko, and members Mikage Chiaki, Matsuo Kaito, and Shimamoto Taichi!" Another rousing burst of applause came from the audience, and Team Phoenix stepped back to join the line of teams who'd already been introduced.

As the announcer introduced the other teams, Kumiko stayed silent while her friends chatted away, discussing tactics, competition line-up and such. Then…

"Okay, folks! Let's get started! First up, we have Team Anubis against Team Chimera!"

The audience burst out clapping, and the teams mentioned stepped closer to the center of the platform while the others went to their respective team benches.

And so the matches began. Kumiko didn't stay with her team but went around, searching for the other teams from her block; she wanted to gather as much information as she could about them without actually battling anyone yet. Kai had told her before, during one of their private training sessions, that he used to do this during a tournament, helping to give Team BBA an edge in the competition because of even a small amount of information about the rival teams.

She had managed to find the other four teams from Block B – they were all in the different indoor training rooms provided – and, satisfied with what she'd observed from them, had just started down the stairs back to the competition area to rejoin her companions when she heard a familiar voice.

"Kumiko!"

The raven-haired girl looked up, broke into a huge grin, and waved. "Miyuri! Hey!"

A rather short, lively looking charcoal-haired girl with smoky blue eyes ran up to her, coming to a stop mere inches before bumping into Kumiko. "I _thought_ I saw someone familiar!" she said. The two of them had been classmates and best friends in junior high, and had lost touch when each attended different senior high schools.

"I know you don't like to blade, Miyuri…" Kumiko said, cocking her head to the side. "So what are doing here?"

"I know you won't believe me, but I _am_ here to blade!" the hazy blue-eyed girl replied, grinning widely.

"Is that so?" The raven-haired teen asked, clearly amused. "Wait…you're from Shiritsu Daitou Fuji High, right? So you're on Team Griffin?"

Miyuri nodded. "Yup!"

"So what happened? You guys are in Block A, aren't you?"

The charcoal-haired teen grinned wider, if that was even possible. "We made it to the Quarter Finals, Kumiko! Our next match will take place tomorrow, and we'll be going against those from Sengakuji – that would be Team Medusa."

"Oh, my…" for a moment, the wielder of the phoenix looked shocked, then she recovered her wits and hugged her friend. "Congratulations! Oh, Miyuri, I'm so happy for you!"

The shorter teen laughed. "_Arigatou_. But enough about me; what about you? You're here to blade, too, aren't you?"

Kumiko broke the embrace, still smiling, and nodded. "Yeah, I am. I don't think my team's preliminary match is until much later, and I've still no idea whom we're up against, though I've managed to devise a strategy for half the teams who haven't had their preliminary matches yet."

Miyuri looked her quickly. "Is that what you've been doing all this time? Spying on other teams?"

"Well, it's not like I've broken any rules and sabotaged their blades, you know…" Kumiko said, holding up her hands as though in defense. "Besides, it isn't against the rules to observe; in fact, any seasoned blader would tell you the same: know as much about your competitors as possible."

"Point taken. You know, you're starting to sound like your favorite blader, Hiwatari Kai…"

"He's the one who told me that, in fact."

Smoky blue orbs widened with shock. "WHAT?" Miyuri exclaimed, doing a double take – she'd began to walk down the stairs with Kumiko. "You're saying you actually _talked_ to him? When'd that happen, during a press conference a few months before this tournament?"

"You're right about one thing, it _did_ happen a couple of months – five, actually – before the Junior Championships. But no, I didn't _just_ talk to him; I _trained_ with him."

"Your lifelong dream." Miyuri commented, rolling her eyes good-naturedly.

"But I think all the schools here had the same program," Kumiko added, her eyes on the on-going match in the stadium. "You know, getting a world-class team who had volunteered to train the blading team the school had put together. Didn't you have that, too?"

Miyuri nodded. "Yeah, we did. Haruko and I – you remember her, right? Anyway, we and two of our schoolmates were trained by Team Bai Fu Zu X. Apparently, your team was trained by Team BBA."

Kumiko nodded, and then took a step back when Miyuri nearly pounced on her. "Aah! Miyuri, watch it!" she exclaimed, breathing hard. "What's the big idea?"

"Are those…what I think they are?" The charcoal-haired teen asked, gesturing to the armbands Kumiko wore. Team Phoenix's captain glanced down at her arms, and then back at her friend.

"Err, yeah…they are."

"Kai's armguards…" Miyuri glided her hand over the smooth fabric. "Wonder how Shizuka would react if she heard Kai _gave _you these…"

Kumiko's face seemed to harden. "Takenori Shizuka…" she muttered. She, Miyuri, and Shizuka had been friends in the first year of junior high. Miyuri's friendship was genuine where Shizuka's was not, and before they went into their second year, the brunette had made it clear that she detested Kumiko. So when Shizuka had learned that Kumiko had gotten into blading, just as she had barely two weeks earlier, she had challenged the raven-haired teen to a one-round match. Kumiko had won, which upset her 'rival' even more. Also, both Kumiko and Miyuri knew that Shizuka's favorite blader was Kai, just like Kumiko's.

Kumiko cracked a smile. _She'd probably have a fit,_ she thought, laughing to herself, _and challenge me to a match right here and now, with the armbands as the prize_!

"Oh, speaking of matches," Miyuri added, gesturing towards the announcement screen. "Team Leviathan is about to have their match against Team Minotaur."

"'Team Leviathan'?" Kumiko asked. "Isn't that the team that represents Jonan Senior High?"

Miyuri nodded. "Uh-huh. And you remember who chose to attend that school, don't you…?"

Kumiko understood. There was a remote possibility that she'd have to face _another_ of her rivals – who she didn't even see as one! She wondered what made people want to compete with her, and often against her will.

"Ah, well, I'd better get down there, then," she said, indicating the competition ground. "If Team Leviathan and Team Minotaur are going to have at it soon, that means, my team won't have to wait for their turn for long; I have to be there with them."

"Wait…" Miyuri looked puzzled. "Aren't you going to be battling for them?"

Kumiko shook her head. "Not this time, Miyuri. I registered myself as a sub."

"Oh, for-!" the smoky blue-eyed teen smacked her forehead with her palm. "You are _definitely_ following Kai's footsteps! Didn't you tell me he'd register as team captain _and_ sub in every tournament Team BBA participated in?"

Kumiko nodded. "Yup! Besides, our trainers agree with me; it's better to have a few tricks up your sleeve, and I just happen to be the trump card, or so Mizuhara-_sensei_ says…Anyway, I have to go! See you tomorrow!"

"Yeah, sure. Instead of waiting for tomorrow, let's meet up for dinner. I know we'll be served dinner here, but how about we share a table?"

"Sounds great! See you in a few hours, then." Kumiko turned away and continued on her way back to the main stadium, while Miyuri turned and went back up the stairs.

_If Team Leviathan is going against Team Minotaur, Team Anubis battled Team Chimera, and Team Dragon and Team Fury butted heads earlier…_Kumiko thought, _then that leaves us to battle against Team Sphinx_…

The raven-haired teen smirked. She'd watched the members of Team Sphinx train earlier…and it was one of the two teams she'd been able to formulate a strategy for.

_Perfect._

_

* * *

_

A/N: Well, that's it for Chapter 6! On to Chapter 7! If everything goes well - no long papers or super-long exams - I might have Chapter 8 up bynext week!

Aki: (sarcastically) Woopee for you...

Me: Don't be like that! It's hard to be college freshman and writer! So much typing, so little time... Anyway, whom do you guys think the disembodied voice belongs to? I'd like to know if I made it mysterious enough, or something like that...

Well, ciao! Dewa matta! Peace out and God bless!


	8. Chapter 7: An Old Flame Rekindled

A/N: I'm just amazed at my speed nowadays...two chapters in one update...Ah, well; it must be because I'm in a Merit English class(that's the highest possible class to get into in your freshman year) and I'm probably inspired to write...

Okay, I won't take up your time with my pointless ramble, beloved readers! On to the story!

Disclaimer: If I owned Beyblade, Balkov would have died in the third season...

* * *

**Chapter 7: An Old Flame Rekindled **

"Kumiko! Where've you been?" Kaito jumped up as he saw the phoenix wielder approaching. Kumiko grinned apologetically.

"Sorry, guys. I got bored, so I went around the compound a bit."

"Well, at least you got here in time," Taichi added, looking away from the center stadium. "Our match is coming up, and we-"

Kumiko held up a hand. "I already know whom we're going up against, Taichi; it's Team Sphinx."

"Uh, right. Team Sphinx." The coppery-haired male looked nonplussed; how could she have known?

"Anyway, Kumiko, who do you suppose we send in first?" Chiaki asked, looking serious. "You know this championship is important for the school."

"I'm aware of that." Kumiko replied, taking her seat and staring fixedly at the stadium, where the Leviathan-Minotaur match was coming to an end. "However, we can't jump to conclusions and decide whom to field first without seeing who the opposing team will send in."

"But how can seeing _their_ representative help us decide on _ours_?" Taichi asked, waving his hands around wildly. "I mean, no one can tell what their opponent's fighting style is just by _staring_ at them!"

"Just sit still, guys. I know what I'm doing." Kumiko replied calmly, seemingly not bothered by the olive-eyed teen's outburst.

The three other members of Team Phoenix gave each other looks that had 'I think being the team captain has gone to her head,' written all over them, and then sat down, each one giving the ebony-haired teen quizzical looks from time to time; Kumiko seemed not to notice.

"And what a finish, folks!" DJ Jazzman was saying. "With a surprise tactic, Shizuka snatches the victory out from under Team Minotaur's nose!" The applause was less deafening this time around, which was a relief for the wielders of the sacred beasts.

"Thank you, Team Leviathan, Team Minotaur," the announcer continued. The screen changed to show the members of the two teams lined up on opposite sides of the stadium. "You may now return to your team rooms, or stay and watch the last preliminary match – the last match for the day, in fact." Protests could be heard from several members of the audience, but the energetic announcer paid no attention to these. "And now, we have…Team Phoenix versus Team Sphinx!" Applause broke out as the two teams stood up and made their way over to the stadium. Then DJ Jazzman continued with his spiel. "Teams, please decide on your competitor for the first round!"

A hush fell over the audience as they watched the two teams discuss their choices – rather, Team Phoenix only pretended to discuss; they were waiting for Kumiko's decision. Finally, on the opposite end of the stadium, three of the members of Team Sphinx stepped off the platform, leaving a lanky, slim-built, mousy-haired teen – their first competitor.

Kumiko smirked. "Just as I thought. Okay, Kaito, you go in first."

"Huh?" Kaito looked bemused. "Why me?"

"You specialize in speed, right?" Kumiko asked. The teal-eyed teen nodded in reply, and Kumiko went on. "The one representing Team Sphinx isn't so hot at speed and relies more on strength to get the job done. Taichi," she added, turning to the coppery-haired teen, "I could have sent you in, but we might need you later. Right now, speed is our best bet."

"How do you know all this, Fujiwara?" Chiaki asked, folding her arms across her chest. Yes, she and Kumiko had finally buried the hatchet, but she couldn't help but feel jealous sometimes, especially in this situation where the raven-haired teen seemed so sure of herself.

"Remember when I said that I'd gone around a bit? Well, I was actually gathering data on the other teams, and I was able to formulate a strategy against two of the teams; this team is one of them. I observed them training earlier, so I was able to see the playing styles of its members."

"I see…"

"Team Phoenix, have you decided who your representative will be?" DJ Jazzman broke into the conversation. Kumiko glanced towards the announcer's platform and smiled.

"Yes, we have. I apologize if we took quite long." She motioned for Taichi and Chiaki to leave the platform, but lingered a while longer.

"Kaito, remember: utilize the speed training Rei gave you," she whispered in the boy's ear. "Lure him into the center, and then _that_'s when you can get him."

"If you say so…" Kaito looked uncertain, but he gripped his launcher securely. Kumiko took this as a good sign; she stepped down from the platform and joined her teammates at the bench.

"Bladers ready? 3…2…1…Go, shoot!"

Kaito pulled hard on his ripcord, giving it a little tweak just before the entire length of it could exit the launcher. His blade was a silver streak as it launched into the dish. As soon as it hit the surface, the Driger began to scream around the dish in dizzyingly rapid spirals.

"Woah!" the lanky teen at the opposite end exclaimed. "That's _fast_!" And for a moment, he looked uncertain and was frozen to the spot

"Never mind his speed, Seiji!"

The boy called Seiji glanced over his shoulder at the sound; it was one of his teammates, specifically, what looked to be their team captain. He looked to be a stern sort, with his dark brown hair cut quite short and dangerous-looking pale green eyes.

"It's just a trick to get you unsettled!" he continued, green eyes flashing. "Just remember your training!"

At this, Seiji seemed to brighten up, and he grinned. "Thanks, Oujirou!" he called before turning back to the dish.

Meanwhile, Kaito had been building up his speed, keeping his breathing slow and even, just as Rei had taught him in order to be more 'in tune' with Byakko. He was quite pleased with himself at how far he'd come in just a short time. Where there had been just a blank void in his consciousness – in the part of him where the neko-jin had said the bit beast's thoughts and feelings could be felt – now there seemed to be a rhythm unique unto itself, one he had to tap into and synchronize with if they were to pull through. Right now, he knew, the white tiger was only waiting for the command to attack, and victory would be swift; the chocolate-haired teen reassured him it wouldn't be long now.

Suddenly, the dark blue blade – Seiji's – began to zigzag crazily, but only in the middle.

_What now_? Kaito thought. Kumiko had told him that his opponent relied heavily on offense, but that didn't seem the case. He glanced towards his team, confusion and worry in his face.

Kumiko stood up when she saw that the teal-eyed teen was having doubts now. She felt the urge to shout at him for being so senseless and for having so little trust in her, but she shoved it down and told herself, instead, that this was a first for all of them; they were bound to have uncertainties at one point or another. She made her way towards the stadium, close enough for her to be heard without having to raise her voice too much.

"Kaito, it's a trick!" she said as soon as she caught her teammate's eye. "You have to see past that! He's actually waiting for you to make the first move before he brings on the offense. And that's what you have to do."

"But…won't that be playing into their hands?" Kaito was utterly confused now. If he did as Kumiko asked of him, it would be like granting his opponent's request that he lose!

"It may seem as if we're playing into their hands, but in reality, it's the other way around," the raven-haired teen explained, smiling as though to reassure the wielder of the white tiger. "Remember what I told you: _lure_ him into the center, then finish him." With that, she turned around and made her way back to the bench. Around halfway there, she stopped and glanced back at Kaito. "Oh, and remember Newton's laws of motion and use them to your advantage."

That was all she had to say. She knew that, in order to keep her team on top of things, she couldn't tell them the solution to every battle, no matter how tempting it was; she would give them tips or clues, that was it. They had to figure it out for themselves.

Unknown to Kumiko, her voice hadn't reached Team Phoenix's opponents, but it _had_ reached Takao and his companions. When they heard her cryptic clues, Takao nearly fell off his chair with surprise, and then laughter.

"What's so funny?" Kai asked. He'd found the raven-haired teen's tactic practical and sensible – you couldn't hand your team everything they needed on a silver platter.

"S-sorry, Kai," Takao replied, wiping away a few tears of mirth, "but she reminds me of _you_!"

"He's right, Kai." Max added, twisting in his seat to glance at the slate-haired teen. "She's doing the exact same thing for her team as you did during tournaments."

"And is something wrong with that?"

"Oh, nothing much…" Takao said, slumping back in his seat. "Just that, for some strange reason, Kumiko's turning out to be an almost perfect copy of you! What have you been teaching her?"

"I only trained her to be the best blader she could possibly be, Kinomiya." Kai answered, purposely addressing the stormy-eyed teen by his last name. "I never told her what I did with you guys when I was captain."

"So what you're saying is she already held the same principles as you do when in a tournament, that nothing comes easy?"

"Precisely. Kumiko isn't like other rookie bladers I've trained with," Kai said, his arms across his chest as usual. He'd left the team for around a year to offer his services at a small-town training center. "I'd set up an obstacle course for one of our training sessions, and she was having trouble getting through the last section of it – the same place where all my previous trainees had problems. I offered to give her a hint. While her predecessors had jumped at the chance for an easy way out, in order to finish the session, Kumiko refused flat-out. You guys were there; she was the last trainee out of the room because she wanted to finish the course by herself."

"Which she did," Rei said. He remembered that day. The four chosen ones had just gotten the hang of controlling their blades, and they were working on fine-tuning the different aspects of their respective beasts. It was already rather late when Kumiko finished, and by that time, her teammates – plus Yuujin, who always waited for them to finish their sessions – had already eaten and were waiting for her outside. He didn't quite recall _how _the girl had finished the obstacle course, but that didn't matter to him.

The group was silent for a few more moments, and then Takao spoke up.

"Kai? Are you sure you and Kumiko aren't long-lostsiblings or something?"

Kai smirked and gave the stormy-eyed teen a good whack across the back of his head.

"Shut up."

* * *

"No way!" Seiji exclaimed as he watched his blade spin through the air, as though in slow motion, and land with a clatter at his feet.

Kaito grinned as he called his blade back to him. It had taken him around two minutes to figure out what Kumiko had meant by her advice. When he thought about it, it was ridiculously simple, yet required split-second timing and precision – which explained why he'd been chosen to go first. He'd done exactly as Kumiko told him: he lured his opponent into the center of the stadium, allowing Seiji to hit him only twice – before he sent the silent command out to Byakko. The white tiger responded immediately; at the last moment before Seiji could deliver his finishing blow, the silver blade had seemingly vanished, only reappear behind the dark blue blade and give it a good hit. And that was all it took to knock him out.

"What a spectacular blader, folks!" DJ Jazzman yelled into the microphone. "Kaito of Team Phoenix knocks Seiji out with almost no effort at all!" The crowd yelled and clapped its approval as Kaito made his way back to the team bench, grinning.

Kumiko glanced at him and smiled. "Glad you pulled through, Kaito," she said, getting up off the bench to congratulate him. "You kept your cool, and you thought things through, just as we knew you would. We're that much closer to the title thanks to your efforts."

"Uh, yeah…thanks, I guess…" The chocolate-haired teen looked embarrassed at the praise his captain was conferring on him. He sank down on the bench quite heavily; he was both relieved that his match was over and shocked that he'd actually been in an official Beyblade match in front of a HUGE audience!

"Glad to see your team captain isn't cheap with the praise, unlike ours…" A familiar voice broke through, and the members of Team Phoenix turned around to see Takao and his friends standing behind them.

"Kinomiya-_sensei_!" Chiaki sat up straight, surprised. "What – I thought you guys were staying in the trainers' box upstairs?"

"Yeah, well, we wanted to stay somewhere I bit closer to the action," Max replied, grinning. "From what we can see, your team's matches seem to be quite interesting."

"Yeah," the dark blue-haired teen added, making himself comfortable on the opposite end of the bench – the part that was still unoccupied. "Have you heard the applause?"

"Well, we-" Taichi started, but DJ Jazzman's voice cut him off.

"Will the next competitors please approach the dish?"

"So…who's up next?" Taichi asked. He turned to Kumiko as he said this, and fell silent when she held up a hand. She stood up and gazed at the center stadium.

After a few moments, she smiled. The one from Team Sphinx was the only girl in the group. She threw Chiaki a glance, and then nodded towards the stadium.

"Huh?" the ash blonde looked confused. "Kumiko, you want _me_ to battle this girl?"

"Just use you attack power, Chiaki; that's your advantage." Kumiko said simply. Chiaki shrugged, picked up her launcher – which she'd lain on the bench – and approached the stadium.

"Okay, folks. Representing Team Sphinx is Takano Mizumi, and battling for Team Phoenix is Mikage Chiaki!"

As soon as the match began, it became clear to the team members on the sidelines why Chiaki had been chosen for this battle. The girl, Mizumi, was a good tactician, but she got upset and rattled easily whenever she was attacked, which in turn threw her strategy off-track. It was easy to see where this battle would go.

"And a wonderful finish for Chiaki, ladies and gentlemen!" DJ Jazzman exclaimed, not even three minutes later, throwing his free hand up in the air for emphasis. "Looks like Mizumi wasn't able to keep pace with this girl's fiery attacks!"

Chiaki approached, only to be tackled by Takao. "That was _great_, Chiaki!" the steel blue-eyed teen exclaimed gleefully. "You're the _best_ student I ever had!"

"She's the _only_ student you ever had…" Max said, grinning good-naturedly.

Kumiko wasn't paying attention to their banter; in fact, she'd moved a little further away in order to see – and hear – more clearly what was going on at Team Sphinx's end.

"You _idiots_!" The green-eyed teen, Oujirou, was saying, directing his tirade at Seiji and Mizumi. "_How_ could you let yourselves be beaten so easily?"

"Oujirou-_san_, we-" Mizumi began, but the dark brown-haired captain cut her off with an irate wave of his hand. He turned towards the only team member who was still seated. "Makoto, is it all right with you if I take your place?"

Kumiko gasped. "They're twins!"

Indeed, Oujirou and Makoto looked almost exactly alike, except the latter's hairstyle was longer in comparison to that of the former.

Makoto grinned and leaned back against the wall. "I imagine you want to save face for the school, huh?

Oujirou nodded. "Exactly."

"Well, go ahead, then," Makoto continued, placing his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. "I didn't think I'd get over my being lazy in time to compete when it was my turn, anyway…"

"Whatever…" With that, Oujirou made his way over to the platform, standing ready for the announcement to move up the stadium.

Kumiko rushed back to her team. "Guys, change of plans…" she said as soon as she rejoined the circle.

"What's wrong?" Taichi asked. The amethyst-eyed teen looked at him apologetically.

"I'm really sorry, Taichi, but you're going to have to wait to participate in a match," she said, "but something's come up. Team Sphinx is sending in their team captain. Now, I'm not implying anything about your skills, Taichi, but I think it would be better if I went in, just to balance them out."

She took a deep breath and continued. "I know I'm only supposed to go in if it's an emergency, or because a team member's missing, but I…I just wanted to teach the guy a lesson by going against him. I saw how he treats his teammates, and I can't let him get away with that! And then he said something about 'saving face' for his school, and-"

"Wait…you said 'he', right?" Chiaki asked, smiling.

"Yeah, I did."

"Well, in that case, Kumiko, then go ahead; battle him. I know you've got something up your sleeve, and I can already guess that Team Sphinx's captain is a guy who's still got some issues about 'girl power'…"

"So if he wants to save face for his school…" Rei looked thoughtful.

"And he goes against a member of the opposite sex…" Taichi added, a wide grin spreading across his features.

"And then he loses…" Chiaki finished, grinning too.

"Get in there, Captain!" Kaito said, giving Kumiko a slight push towards the stadium. She caught herself before she could stumble, turned to face her friends, and grinned.

"Thanks, guys. Oh, and Taichi? In the next round – you know, the Quarter Finals? Well, you're going first, so you'd better prepare." And she, too, approached the dish.

"Nice to see some team camaraderie…" Takao commented, leaning towards Max.

"Yeah…what I still can't get over is how Kumiko is two different people. She's nice, kind, sweet, friendly – all that stuff – under normal circumstances. I mean, she's trying to defend, somehow, those people not even on her own team. But when she's in a Beybattle, it's a whole new story!" the blonde replied, not taking his eyes off the raven-haired teen as she made her way up the platform and took her place across from her opponent. Takao remained mute, only nodding in agreement; he didn't know how to answer to his friend's observation, but he, too, had noticed this.

"Oh, looks like it's going to be a heated battle, fans!" DJ Jazzman said as he took notice of the bladers in front of the dish. "For the third match, both teams have sent in their respective captains to battle it out. And I believe the captain for Team Sphinx, Oujirou, is trying to regain some honor for their school by volunteering. Will Team Phoenix's Fujiwara Kumiko manage? That's what were about to find out!"

The announcer pressed a button on the railing in front of him, causing the platform to move downwards for several feet. "Bladers, take your positions!"

Kumiko stretched her arms out in front of her, gripping her launcher securely. Across from her, Oujirou did the same. Then he noticed the armguards.

"Nice armbands," he commented smirking. "What are you, a die-hard fan of Hiwatari Kai's?"

Kumiko returned the smirk. Oh, she was going to enjoy this! "No, I'm a student of his."

"Well, whatever he's taught you, it isn't going to help you any," the brown-haired teen's smirked widened even further. "And if you think you're going to scare me by wearing those cheap copies of Hiwatari's armbands, it's not working."

"Bladers, 3…2…1…Go, shoot!" came the command.

Almost in tandem, the two teens wrenched the ripcords out of their launchers. The two blades – Kumiko's blue and and Oujirou's red one – sped towards each other…

There was silence for a few moments, and then the audience burst out in a raucous round of applause. DJ Jazzman had to put the microphone close to his face in order for his voice to be heard above the hullabaloo.

"AMAZING!" he exclaimed, blinking hard as though to assure himself that he was indeed awake and that what he'd just seen was real. "Whoever said 'don't blink; you might miss something' must have had Fujiwara Kumiko in mind! The battle had barely started and she's already finished her opponent off! That must be quite a blow for Oujirou."

Kumiko glared at Oujirou, who sat on the platform floor in shock. With one hand she pocketed her blade, and with the other, threw something at her opponent. Oujirou yelped and held up hand. To his surprise, it was his own blade the amethyst-eyed teen had thrown at him, and he had caught it without meaning to. He gazed at her questioningly.

"How…how'd you knock me out…so quickly?" he asked, stumbling over his words.

Kumiko glared daggers at him. "I think that's none of your concern. Meanwhile, think about this: your teammates battled against members of their own sex and lost. What about you? Also, I think you should reflect on how you treat your teammates; your attitude towards them really needs work."

She turned on her heel and descended the platform, trying to keep her face straight. She'd actually managed to pull it off! She hadn't even thought that she was ready to imitate Kai's move – the one he used during his one match in the Asian Tournament – but she'd done it!

"Kumiko!"

The ebony-haired teen looked up to see her teammates – as well as Takao and Max – running towards her, and she stopped in her tracks. She didn't want to be tackled by such a big group!

"Oof!" Too late. Max and Takao practically jumped on her, almost knocking her to the floor for the second time that day (the first one was caused by Yuujin).

"That was _awesome_!" Max exclaimed.

"I didn't think anyone would be able to pull that move off aside from _Kai_!" the stormy-eyed teen added, squeezing Kumiko even tighter around the neck.

"Ki-kinomiya…_sensei_…" The purple-eyed teen gasped, fighting to free herself from the 'hug'. "I still…need… to breathe…you know…"

"Huh? Oh, sorry 'bout that…" Takao released his hold on her, and Kumiko stumbled away, holding her neck and wheezing.

"Geez…"

"You were fantastic, Kumiko," Chiaki said, smiling as she shook the girl's hand. Kumiko blushed.

"It was nothing; I just felt the guy needed to be put in his place…"

"You call that match _nothing_?" Kaito was incredulous. "No need to be so modest, Kumiko…"

"But I-"

"Isn't that the move Hiwatari-_sensei_ pulled off during the Asian Championships a few years back?" Taichi interrupted, gesturing vaguely towards the slate-haired teen, who was still seated at the team bench.

Kumiko nodded. "I saw the video in slow motion – I'd recorded some of Team BBA's more salient battles – and I decided to try it out. I just didn't know if it would be as effective as his or not."

"Well, now you know the answer." Takao said.

"Uh, yeah…I guess…" Kumiko looked down at her feet. "Let's go back to the team room, guys," she said, glancing at her teammates. "Perhaps we could discuss tactics for the quarter finals?"

"That would be good," Chiaki nodded her head in agreement. "And I suppose you'll be wanting us to train with you?"

Kumiko smiled. "Not this time. You guys did fine in your matches earlier. But if I can think of something I think you guys will need to master, then I'll tell you so we can work on it."

Takao glanced at Max and mouthed: "Now _this_ is the kind of team captain I would have wanted!"

The blonde chuckled inwardly at that. "Well, there's no helping that, bud." He said, throwing his arm around his friend's shoulders. "She's _their_ captain, not ours. Now, c'mon, let's get back to the others."

* * *

"So, is the line-up for tomorrow's Quarter Finals settled?" Kumiko asked, glancing up at her teammates.

Taichi nodded. "Yup! Now I can't wait for our next match!"

"And Chiaki and I both agree that the two of us can switch places if the situation calls for it." Kaito added, grinning.

"Well, then, that's that. Our first team meeting is adjourned." Kumiko stood up, rubbing her shoulder. "Oh, and Yuujin?"

The auburn-haired teen looked up from the comic book she was reading. "Huh?"

"Next time when the team wins a battle, please refrain from knocking me – or anyone else for that matter – to the floor?" A few minutes before the 'team meeting' had begun, just when Kumiko set foot in the room, Yuujin had pounced on her from seemingly out of nowhere, causing her to bang her shoulder first on the doorknob, and then on the floor. "I can understand your enthusiasm, but please, don't injure us in the process…"

Yuujin giggled nervously. "Um…oops?"

Kumiko waved the comment away. "It doesn't matter. This _is_ the first match we've won, so I guess it's okay…for now. Besides, I don't think my shoulder's drastically injured…"

She turned to her teammates, who were still seated at the table. "What are you waiting for? You can go now."

"So you weren't kidding when you said 'meeting adjourned'?" Chiaki asked, throwing a puzzled glance at Takao. "But Kinomiya-_sensei_ said that team meetings were rarely brief, and usually the team captain was a lot more strict."

Kumiko raised an eyebrow. "Really? I wonder where he got that idea…" she rolled her eyes good-naturedly, noting that Kai was the only one from Team BBA who wasn't there, and decided then and there to go look for him.

"Well, I'm off. I suggest you guys inquire in which room each of you will be sleeping, and then take a nap or something before dinner later tonight. See you!" And she was out the door and down the hallway.

* * *

"I must say, she exceeds my expectations…"

The white-coated lab assistant turned towards the source of the voice. "S-sir?"

A soft chuckle, a short yet chilling sound. "It won't be long now…"

* * *

"Once again, Fujiwara, impressive performance."

Kumiko turned around and gave a small smirk as she watched Kai come out of his hiding place. "If you thought to surprise me, Hiwatari-_sensei_, you were wrong; I heard you breathing, so I wasn't surprised to find you here."

"So you've honed your senses as well…" Kai held out a hand. The amethyst-eyed teen glanced at it, then back up at Kai, looking puzzled. The slate-haired boy gave a short, yet pleasant bark of laughter. "You've never seen a handshake before, Kumiko?"

The girl frowned. "It's not that, Hi-_"_

"Kai."

"Excuse me?"

The crimson-eyed teen gave a genuine smile, the blood-red gaze softening somewhat. "It's Kai. I see no use in your referring to me as '_sensei_', because, from what I can see of your blading skills, we are somewhat on par with each other. We are no longer student and teacher, but, for lack of a better term, partners."

"I…see…" Kumiko shook the hand held in front of her, then let go. When they had touched, it was as though a jolt of electricity had jumped from Kai's hand into hers. _What was that?_ She thought, still puzzled by Kai's sudden change in attitude towards her. What had happened to the ice-cold act?

"You're wondering if there's a catch to my sudden 'personality change', aren't you?"

Kumiko looked up, startled. "Wha-?" _How did he know!_

"I can read your face like an open book. I assure you, Kumiko, there's no catch. You've put up with me for this long and never once complained about my 'attitude problem', as Takao calls it; add to that your steady progress in blading. Simply put, Kumiko, you've earned my respect."

The raven-haired teen blinked in surprise. _I've…earned his respect?_ _This soon?_ She smiled up at the crimson-eyed teen, saying, "I'm glad to hear that, Kai-_san_." Inside, though, she couldn't help but wonder if there was another reason aside from what her mentor had given.

"By the way, about the stunt you pulled off during your match…"

* * *

"Kumiko! Over here!"

Kumiko glanced left and right; she was sure she'd heard Miyuri's voice. So where was she?

Suddenly, a hand landed on her shoulder, and she nearly dropped the glass of juice she was carrying. She whipped around, about to give the 'perpetrator' a talking-to, but stopped.

"Miyuri! There you are!" she exclaimed, breaking into a grin.

"I thought I'd never find you in this crowd," Miyuri indicated, with a nod of her head, the throng of people milling around them. Since this was the first Junior Championships, the BBA decided to host a dinner for not just the participants, but also the spectators – but just on the first night. For the rest of the event, it would be only the participants – even those who'd been eliminated – and their trainers who would enjoy these 'free meals'.

"C'mon, I've already saved us an out-of-the-way table." Miyuri added, pulling her friend along with her.

"H-hey! Not so fast! You'll make me spill my drink!" Kumiko protested, trying her best to keep the hand that held the juice steady.

Soon, the two girls were seated at the table Miyuri had chosen, and were preparing to dig into the meal.

"So, how's Shiritsu Daitou?" Kumiko asked after taking a bite of the chicken fillet.

The smoke blue-eyed teen chewed thoughtfully, and then swallowed. "Not too bad, but one of my teachers could use a nose job. How about you?"

"Same here, except that I don't have any teachers that need plastic surgery."

Miyuri snorted in laughter. "Good one. Anyway, I'm curious. How'd you end up as your team's captain? Was it a vote or something?"

The raven-haired teen took a sip of juice and shook her head. "It was one of the 'prizes' at stake."

"'Prizes'?" Miyuri leaned forward. "Elaborate, please."

"I think you should know, Miyuri," The amethyst-eyed girl looked perplexed at her friend's 'lack' of knowledge. "In the mini-tournament to determine the four bladers who'd represent the school, whoever emerged as the championship in that tournament would be designated as team captain, remember?"

"What mini-tournament? Our school didn't have one…"

Kumiko blanched. "You…didn't have one? Then…why did-"

"So you're saying you're the champion of your school's Beyblade tournament?"

"Um, it wasn't a school event, but it _was_ sponsored by the school, so-"

"It _wasn't _a school event?"

"Yeah. Remember I told you that my teammates and I were trained by the members of Team BBA? Well, they were the ones who proposed the mini-tournament thing; they said it would make things more interesting…"

"Whatever. It's still pretty cool that you won the title of School Beyblade Champion out of how many students in your grade." Miyuri grinned, and then gestured towards a nearby table. "Better not mention that in front of Shizuka, or she's bound to get even more incensed towards you."

Kumiko glanced towards the table her friend had indicated; Shizuka and three other teens – her teammates, apparently – were seated there, and it looked like they were discussing something.

"Discussing team tactics over dinner…I think the minute she saw your match against Team Sphinx, she got all competitive again…" Miyuri commented, turning her attention to the half-eaten chicken fillet and veggies on her plate.

"Do you think we'll ever find out why she's so competitive with me?" Kumiko asked, spooning the last of her vegetables into her mouth.

The charcoal-haired girl across from her wiped her lips with a napkin and shrugged. "I've no idea…Oh, are you up for a game of Tekken Five after dinner?"

"You're on!"

* * *

"This is incredible, folks!" DJ Jazzman exclaimed. "It's been only a few minutes, and already Team Phoenix has ensured their slot in the Semi-finals! I'm just as awed as you, fans; this team is _blazing_! We're about to go into the semi-finals and Team Phoenix has yet to lose a match!

It was the next day, nearing lunchtime, and Chiaki had just defeated Team Phoenix's last opponent – the representative from Team Dragon.

"Nice tactic, Chiaki," Kumiko commented. "A very good adaptation of the Fortress Defence."

"Well, Taichi _did_ tell me that sometimes, the best defense is the best offense…"

Kumiko, Taichi, Kaito, and Chiaki were on their way to the team room, where they knew their trainers and the two tag-alongs would be waiting for them.

Sure enough…

"Congratulations!"

Kumiko and her companions had barely set foot into the room when everyone – except for Kai – popped their heads into the doorway, holding up a hastily made banner that said 'Congratulations!'

"So, you guys are unbeatable, eh?" Takao said, grinning widely as Team Phoenix stepped in, Chiaki brushing the banner aside and causing Kyouju – who was the only one left holding it – to drop in onto the floor.

"That's something that's kind of hard to achieve, isn't it guys?" Max asked, glancing at his teammates.

Rei nodded, smiling. "Yeah, it is. Keep up the good work."

"Your blades' stats have improved, too." Kyouju added.

Kumiko took a seat at one end of the table. "But we've a long way to go if we want the championship title for the school," she commented. "And from here on end, the matches will only get harder."

"We'll be ready, Kumiko; don't worry," Chiaki said, also sitting down.

"Hey, you guys!" Yuujin suddenly piped up. "We haven't celebrated your achievement yet; how about we go out somewhere for lunch?"

"Great idea!" Takao agreed instantly; anything concerning food would catch his attention. "So when do we leave?"

"Hmmm…" Yuujin pretended to look thoughtful. "We haven't decided where we'll eat yet, and eating will take some time since this is a celebration meal. Since the Semi-Finals won't be starting until half past two o'clock…"

"We read you, Yuujin," Kaito broke in, half-laughing. He went to the coat rack near the door and retrieved his denim jacket before turning to his companions. "Well? C'mon, guys, let's get going!"

* * *

"…And there you have it, folks!" DJ Jazzman was saying as Kumiko and her companions entered the arena; Team BBA, Yuujin, and Shun had remained in the team room. "In a surprise finish, Team Basilisk leaves Team Griffin in the dust. Team Basilisk is going on to the Finals!"

The group had returned from their 'celebration' at around three in the afternoon, and there had been much worrying about disqualification because of tardiness. But they calmed down soon enough; Taichi had spotted the team name still on the list of participants in the Quarter Finals, and that had been enough to reassure them.

Kumiko stopped short when she heard what the announcer had said. "Miyuri's team was eliminated?" She had a right to be shocked. The night before, after the girls' Tekken Five showdown, they'd had a friendly match, just to pass the time; Kumiko discovered that Miyuri had become a skilled blader since they'd parted ways.

"Looks like our match is up next…" Chiaki said, taking a seat on the team bench.

"Aw, man…" Kaito groaned. "Don't we even get a break or something? We just came back from an excursion!"

"The break will have to wait, Kaito," Kumiko said, glancing at the announcement screen for the line-up. _Just as I suspected…_ she thought. She saw that Shizuka had placed herself last in the line-up, _probably hoping to 'show me a thing or two'…_ Kumiko shook her head. "Well, she's got another thing coming. Kaito, you're all set to – Kaito!" The amethyst-eyed teen stared blankly at her teammate; the wielder of Byakko had passed out on the bench.

"Ohmigod, what's wrong with Kaito?" Chiaki asked, rushing over when she heard Kumiko call out."

The raven-haired teen was silent for a while as she felt for the unconscious teen's pulse, and then felt his forehead. She shook her head.

"He's come down with a fever, and it's a high one; it was probably caused by exhaustion." Kumiko stated solemnly. "Taichi, could you please call for medics to bring him to the infirmary? The BBA usually has a team on call for cases such as this."

"Right!"

As the olive-eyed teen ran off to find an official, Kumiko took her seat and forced herself to take deep breaths. She couldn't help thinking that there was some foul play involved in Kaito's sudden illness. He'd been perfectly fine the day before, and she knew, deep inside, that the chocolate-haired teen had exerted him more during training then he had during this tournament.

Was someone out to get them?

"All right, ladies and gentlemen, I believe we've had enough of a break!" DJ Jazzman, silencing the chattering crowd. "However, I've just been informed that a member of Team Phoenix, Matsuo Kaito, has just taken ill; that means, their line-up will be changed."

On the announcement screen, Kaito's picture – which had been next to Shizuka's, his opponent – was instantly replaced with Kumiko's.

"Kumiko, will this affect the team strategy in any way?" Chiaki asked anxiously. Her captain shook her head defiantly.

"No, it won't. Don't worry about it, Chiaki; just concentrate on your match and whatever strategy you've formulated, and you'll be fine."

"Remember: for the Semi-Finals, each pair will battle it out in three rounds; that's nine rounds a match, ladies and gents. So…first up, for Team Leviathan, we have Sadame Hikitsu!" The audience clapped as an average-built, golden brown-haired teen with green eyes and what looked to be a dragon tattoo on one side of his neck approached the stadium.

"And, representing Team Phoenix, we have Mikage Chiaki!" Once more the crowd applauded, and Chiaki made her way over to the dish.

"Without further ado…Bladers! 3…2…1…Go, shoot!"

* * *

"This is it, folks!" DJ Jazzman said, pushing the button that would send the platform closer to the dish. "Both teams are tied with one round each; this is the third round, and it looks like both bladers are raring to 3…2…1…Go, shoot!"

At the signal, both teens pulled on the ripcords, their respective blades mere blurs upon entrance into the dish. There was a whirlwind of color – toxic violet and white – as the blades raced around the stadium, trying to find an opening.

Suddenly, Hikitsu smirked, looking like a sneaky kid who'd somehow managed to steal an entire candy store. "Wyborg, finish this! _Sand Bind_!"

* * *

In the team room, Takao shot up when he heard Hikitsu call on his bit beast. "_Wyborg_!" The steel blue-eyed teen was incredulous. "So it wasn't just _our_ bit beasts that chose new masters?"

"That's possible…" Max said, still staring at the TV screen, where a purple pit viper with lethal spikes down its length had materialized out of Hikitsu's blade.

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Rei reasoned. "It could be only Wyborg – out of the four belonging to Team NeoBorg – that had chosen a new master…Let's just wait and see what happens…"

* * *

"What an amazing turn of events, folks!" DJ Jazzman exclaimed. "It seems we're suddenly watching a bit beast match here, and Chiaki looks to be in a bind, if you'll pardon the pun. I guess she wasn't counting on her opponent having a bit beast of his own!"

Chiaki stared, a mixture of awe and horror on her face as the violet snake took form in front of her. She was close to panic now; her white blade was having trouble finding an opening to counter its opponent's attack, and she feared that it would fall apart before her eyes.

"Chiaki, remember your training!" Kumiko called from the sidelines. Chiaki glanced over her shoulder at her captain, who was smiling encouragingly.

"Don't let him get to you, Chiaki!" Taichi added, giving her the thumbs-up and grinning. "We're here for you!"

Chiaki gave a small smile, and then turned back to the battle, mentally shaking her head to get rid of any negative thoughts. She observed the enemy blade's movements for a few moments, trying to come up with a new angle.

"Whatsamatter?" Hikitsu asked mockingly. "Giving up so soon? I thought your team was supposed to be unbeatable!"

The ash blonde teen glared at him. "You'd better watch what you say, Sadame…" she threatened, keeping the battle in the stadium within her peripheral vision. "I'm just getting warmed up…"

She closed her eyes, feeling within her consciousness for the dragon's presence. _There's no other recourse…_ she thought, latching on to her bit beast's 'vibrations'. _He's released his bit beast; I might as well do the same…_

She remained still for a few more moments, as though waiting for something. And then, a silent roar resounded in her head.

The emerald orbs flew open; it was time.

"Seiryuu!" Chiaki cried, her hair beginning to flow around her face; the blue dragon's spirit aura had caused the wind to pick up as it left the confines of the bit chip, towering a few feet taller than the snake it now faced..

"What's this?" DJ Jazzman commented, barely catching himself as he nearly fell out of the movable platform. He'd leaned over to get a better look; he could hardly believe his eyes. "Looks like Hikitsu isn't the only rookie here with a bit beast, fans; Chiaki has one, too, and it looks like Kinomiya Takao's Seiryuu!"

Murmurs spread throughout the audience. This was only the Junior Championships, after all; no one expected mere students to have their own bit beasts, let alone one of the legendary four.

In the dish, the white blade belonging to Chiaki began to blow away the 'sand' created by Hikitsu's Wyborg – as part of his Sand Bind attack - and the air seemed to fill with grunts, roars, and hisses as the two beasts battled for supremacy.

"What are you waiting for, Wyborg? _Finish her_!" the golden brown-haired teen fairly screamed, visibly upset that the easy victory he'd been counting on was suddenly whisked away from him. The amethyst snake, sensing its master's distress, instantly entwined itself around Seiryuu and began to squeeze.

"Seiryuu!" Chiaki called out, seeing her bit beast in trouble; the dragon roared in reply, its voice strong. Chiaki could see otherwise; the snake's grip was tightening rapidly, and it wouldn't be long before Seiryuu would retreat back into its container to regain its strength.

"Chiaki!"

The emerald-eyed teen turned at the sound of her name being called, and locked gazes with Kumiko.

"Think, Chiaki!" her captain commanded, the slim brows knitted in consternation. "Your bit beast is a dragon, and it's battling a snake. What can a dragon do that a snake _can't_?"

"What can a dragon do…that a snake can't…?" Chiaki muttered to herself. Once more, she turned back to the battle, and was horrified to see that the azure dragon was slowly falling to its knees.

"No! Seiryuu!" Jade green orbs widened with shock at the rapidity of events. _Damn you, Fujiwara, _she cursed savagely in her head. _Damn you for distracting me and giving me a stupid riddle! _She couldn't even think straight, let alone figure out what the raven-haired teen meant by her 'advice'.

Then, suddenly, realization dawned, and Chiaki gave a small grin. Perhaps the riddle wasn't stupid, after all…

"Seiryuu, listen to me! You have to jump! Jump as high as you can!" Chiaki called to her bit beast. The azure dragon's eyes, which had slowly been losing their luster, seemed to light up at the sound of its master's voice, and gave an earth-shattering roar, as though to assert its power.

"_Now_ what?" Hikitsu started to chuckle. "You're telling your bit beast to play jump rope?"

"Just watch me!" Chiaki said, her eyes narrowing. The great dragon tensed, and then took a great leap.

What happened was more than expected. Since snakes are earth-bound creatures – not all of them were meant to fly – as soon as Seiryuu had jumped, Wyborg lost its grip somewhat. Taking this as the signal, the cerulean dragon gave one push with its huge claws, and its adversary fell, hitting the stadium with a resounding crash.

"Yes!" Chiaki exclaimed, pumping her fist into the air. "Alright, Seiryuu! Let's finish this! _Dragon's Fury_!"

"No! Wyborg, counter!"

As Seiryuu landed, upon the command from its master, it rushed towards the opposing snake, who was poised to strike back; at the same time, the white blade circled closer and closer to the violet one. As soon as the two blades came in contact, Chiaki's began to attack from all sides, leaving no opportunity for Hikitsu to counter-attack. A few moments later, Seiryuu gave one last swipe, Chiaki's blade closed in for the final hit. There was a loud _thwack!_ and Hikitsu's blade was airborne.

Silence reigned as the toxic purple blade came to rest at its owner's feet, Wyborg retreated into its bit, defeated, and then, the crowd burst into rousing cheers, whoops, and applause.

"A brilliant battle, folks!" DJ Jazzman had to yell louder now. "Thanks to Chiaki and her partner Seiryuu, Team Phoenix manages to hold on to their winning streak!"

"You did it!" Kumiko exclaimed as Chiaki approached.

"But not without difficulty," the emerald-eyed teen returned, flopping down onto the bench.

"Still, you managed to make sense of what I said," the raven-haired girl smiled. "And you figured it out so quickly!"

"Congratulations on your win, Chiaki," Taichi said, sitting down beside the girl and laying a hand on her shoulder. "It _was_ quite a battle, and you pulled through!"

"Do you need anything? A glass of water, perhaps, or something to eat?" Kumiko offered. She could see how tired her teammate was from the match; her connection to Seiryuu was now apparent. "Or maybe you'd like me to get a medical kit to clean up those cuts,"

"Huh?" Chiaki started when she heard she'd been injured and then spotted the scratches on her upper arms. "Where-"

"Kai told me about it," Kumiko explained gently, reading her friend's expression correctly. "When the blader is in tune with their beast, and the beast is injured in battle, so is the blader. However, the injury sustained by the blader is relative to injury suffered by the bit beast. For example, the bit beast suffers a fall; in this case, the blader would feel weak in the knees, or even get a banged-up shoulder or some other similar injury. In any case, there haven't been any cases in which someone died because of a bit beast bond, so you needn't worry," the amethyst-eyed teen added the last part in order to reassure the girl.

"_Sou ka…_" Chiaki fell silent. Kumiko sat down beside her, staring blankly at the dish.

"Uh, Chiaki?" Taichi broke in hesitantly, seeing that both girls were deep in thought. The ash blonde looked up.

"_Hai_?"

"Maybe you should go to the infirmary; you know, get those cuts cleaned up…"

Chiaki was about to protest, saying that she wanted to stay for Taichi's match, but Kumiko interrupted. "He's right, Chiaki; the sooner you get those cleaned up, the better."

Chiaki was silent for a while, and then she stood up and stretched. "I'll see you in a bit, then…"

The two remaining members of Team Phoenix watched as the girl walked off in search of the infirmary. Then Kumiko turned to address the holder of Genbu. "Are you ready?"

* * *

"Oh…! This has_must_ be upsetting for Team Phoenix, boys and girls; this is the first time they've lost a match, and that has _got_ to hurt…" DJ Jazzman commented, eyeing with dismay the scene before him. Taichi was lying down on the ground, breathing hard with the exhaustion of battle, while the green blade that was Draciel lay a few feet away, unmoving. Across from him, on the other side of the stadium, stood his opponent, Ishida Tetsuro, a loud and brash young man with flaxen hair and pale blue eyes.

Taichi's match had looked promising at the beginning. He'd used a new blade, which he'd upgraded – with help from Kyouju – from his old Draei to a customized Draciel. It's name had no attachments whatsoever to show which series it was a part of – it was a unique blade, built to suit Taichi's tastes and playing style, making it completely different from Max's blade. The first round had gone to Team Phoenix; Taichi had pulled off a defensive trick that made Max – who was watching from the comfort of the Team Room – to cry out in jubilation when it had proved successful.

But it had gone downhill from there. Halfway through the second round, Team Leviathan's representative had chosen to unveil his 'trump card' – his own bit beast. It was only then that Kumiko had begun to worry, but didn't let any of it show. She was quite familiar with the beast Tetsuro now sported; it was a great falcon – hence it's name of Falborg – that had previously belonged to Team NeoBorg's most ruthless, cold-hearted blader: Boris Kuznetsov. Yes, the lilac-haired Russian had made a change for the better – as had the rest of his teammates – but that didn't change the fact that Falborg was a formidable beast to face; it held power over the wind, just like Seiryuu, but it used that power in a more dangerous way. For instance, it could turn the air around it into invisible daggers that injured not only the bit beast, but the blader as well.

Needless to say, the second round had gone to Team Leviathan. The beginning of the third match was a riveting event. Taichi and Tetsuro had matched each other blow for blow – for Taichi had also chosen to unleash the mighty Genbu to even the odds. At first, it seemed that Genbu would prevail, being of a very high defense type, but Falborg had somehow managed to pierce the armor – even Max, its previous owner, knew not how. From that point on, victory seemed to grow further and further away, until it was just an infinitesimal speck on the horizon for Taichi.

And now here he was, alive, yes, but defeated. And with each breath he drew, he could swear he could also hear – and feel – his bit beast's agonized breathing as well. Perhaps this was the bond his captain spoke of? Was it this agonizing to be connected – physically, mentally, and spiritually – to a legendary spirit? And these were only the Semi-Finals! He dared not think what might happen – to him or to any of his teammates – should they make it to the finals.

Suddenly, he felt someone take hold of his arm and lift him up. Without stopping to see who it was, the copper-haired teen forced himself to use his remaining strength to help this person raise him to his feet. Hazily he noted that they were walking not towards the team bench, but towards the corridor he knew led to the infirmary; he'd been there when they took Kaito in, and so had memorized it should any of his teammates need medical attention later on, and he smiled at the irony that it was _he_, not his friends, who needed it now.

"Taichi?" Kumiko's voice broke the silence, and it occured Taichi that it was his captain who carried him and not some other person. "Can you hear me?" The olive-eyed boy gave a small nod, and Kumiko continued. "I just wanted you to know that it was great battle. Though you lost, you did your best, and that's what counts. Okay?"

"Y-yeah…" Taichi replied, offering the girl a small grin to reassure her. The raven-haired teen smiled back.

"We're at the infirmary now, and I'll be leaving you soon. I have to get back to the competition ground; they'll be calling me for my match in a matter of minutes."

Taichi groaned inwardly as he sat down slowly on a comfortable armchair; by Kami, it hurt to move! However, the hurt was soon forgotten as the darkness closed in – his vision had been growing darker for some time after the match – and Genbu's master finally gave in. His labored breathing became less pained and fell to the gentle rhythm of slumber.

Kumiko smiled sadly; she should have warned him about the dangers involved in releasing the bit beast; anyone could have told him, actually, but she felt that it was her fault, somehow. She was their captain, and she had a duty, she supposed, to protect her teammates to her utmost capacity. She barely noticed that a medical team had started to tend to Taichi, and she slowly walked away from the room and back to the stadium.

Blindly she let her feet lead her, not even looking up to see if she was going to right way; nonetheless, she made it to the competition area just in time for her match.

"It's the moment you've been waiting for, folks: the big showdown!" DJ Jazzman shouted into the mic as Kumiko stepped up to the stadium; her opponent, Shizuka, was already there. "It all comes down to this final match, folks! Whoever wins this will advance to the Finals!"

Once more, the crowd cheered, but Kumiko paid no attention. She was focused on Shizuka – her blue black-haired rival from junior high – and how it was _her_ – Shizuka – and her teammates that had brought this pain upon her friends.

"For the final round: Team Leviathan's Takenori Shizuka goes against Fuijiwara Kumiko of Team Phoenix! Who will prevail?"

* * *

A/N: Okay, another cliffie there. I know I might be boring some (of maybe all) of you with this tournament thing, but, like I said, I based it on a kooky dream I had one night, and also on some of my experiences - yes, someone _did_ challenge me to a Beybattle in school... Anyway, I wanted to see if I could carry this all the way through to the end, so, yeah...But don't worry! the tournament is only a 'prequel' of sorts; I'm still trying to tie up a few loose ends for the rest of the fic.

R&R, dears! Dewa matta! Peace out and God bless!


	9. Chapter 8: Showdown

A/N: Konnichiwa! Hikari here with the much-awaited (for some) Chapter 8! Again, a BIG thank you to those who _still_ read this...I know its getting boring for some, but its probably going to bet more interesting soon...

Mei: (sniff) There haven't been many reviewers lately...and I know you've been hoping for the exact opposite...

Me: There, there, Mei. Some people just don't know how to appreciate a good story with a novel idea...

Aki: Can we just get on with it?

Me: Fine...Hey! You're back! Okay, you do the disclaimer:

Disclaimer - Aki: (sigh) Once again, Hikari doesn't own Beyblade nor its characters. The only things in this fic she owns are the OCs (and damn are there a lot of them...)

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 8: Showdown**

"For the final round: Team Leviathan's Takenori Shizuka goes against Fujiwara Kumiko of Team Phoenix! Who will prevail?"

Kumiko stepped up to the dish, brow furrowed, as she put all thoughts save for those concerning her teammates and friends.

Shizuka also approached the dish. "So, we meet again, Fujiwara…" she said scathingly.

"So we do, Takenori," The amethyst-eyed teen replied, reaching into the red bag she wore at her hip for her launcher. "And what of it?" she continued, arching an eyebrow in feigned boredom. She was applying a tactic she'd used many times before, but never before a Beybattle: infuriate your opponent, and victory is almost guaranteed. Sure enough…

"Don't make light of this match, Fujiwara!" the brunette cried, whipping out _her_ launcher. "I've improved since we last battled, and I can assure you that this _won't_ be an easy battle."

"I hope you intend to adhere to that," Kumiko replied, continuing to act unimpressed as she readied herself for the opening launch. "I tend to tire of boring battles…"

It was a good thing, then, that as the raven-haired teen was speaking, DJ Jazzman was giving the signal to launch; the second after Kumiko mentioned 'boring battles', Shizuka's steel-blue eyes flashed angrily, and she let loose her blade with a loud cry. Across the dish, Kumiko did the same, only not as vocally as her opponent.

"You'll _pay_ for that remark!" Shizuka exclaimed as their blades circled each other, dark blue chasing crimson. "_Icy Prison_!"

* * *

"C'mon, guys! We can't have missed much!" Takao said as he ran along the corridor. He and his friends had just come from the infirmary, where they also learned that Kumiko was battling alone now – physically, at least, for two of her teammates were trying to recuperate from their own battles, and the other was fighting a battle against illness.

Soon they entered the competition ground – they'd missed the opening launch – and made their way hurriedly to the now-empty team bench belonging to Team Phoenix.

"_Icy Prison_!"

Max blinked. "Did I hear that right?" he asked, sticking a finger in his ear for emphasis. "I could have sworn I heard Kumiko's opponent say 'Icy Prison'…"

"It wasn't just you, Max," Rei unsmilingly assured the blonde. "We all heard it…"

"And it can only mean one thing," Kai added, his face grim as he watched the two teens battle. "Team Phoenix's last two opponents, Hikitsu and Tetsuro, held two of what used to be Team NeoBorg's bit beasts: Wyborg and Falborg, respectively. Now, if information is correct, the girl Kumiko's battling now is their captain, and we all know who the team captain of NeoBorg was."

Max nodded slowly, understanding immediately what his captain meant; Takao turned his attention to the ensuing battle, wondering if the slate-haired teen was right and praying his wasn't. Because if he was, the stormy-eyed teen knew that Kumiko would have some difficulty coming out of this unscathed.

* * *

"You call this an attack?" Kumiko asked. Her Dranzer swerved left and right, avoiding all the deadly sharp icicles her opponent's blade was 'throwing' at it. "And you said this match wasn't going to be easy…"

"Just you wait, Fujiwara," Shizuka snarled, sweat beginning to bead on her forehead. "This is only the beginning."

Then the steel-blue orbs closed, and Shizuka quieted; in the dish, her blade ceased attacking, spinning slower than it had a while ago.

Kumiko smirked. Now was the time, while she was trying to tap into her bit beast's 'vibes' – yes, she knew Shizuka had a bit beast, even without seeing the girl's blade.

"Dranzer F, Spiral Flame!"

At once, the blue blade shot towards its opponent and circled around it, going faster and faster until it wasn't even visible anymore. Then, there was a _thunk!_ as the blades connected, and Shizuka's crimson one was sent flying. It landed, with a clatter, in front of its wielder, who stared at it, wide-eyed with shock.

"Amazing!" DJ Jazzman exclaimed into the microphone. "With one attack, Kumiko knocks Shizuka out of the dish! I don't think this team captain is very happy with what happened to her teammates earlier…"

Shizuka picked up her blade, attached it to her launcher once more, and then turned to glare at the raven-haired teen across from her. "You made a fatal mistake in crossing me, Fujiwara," she hissed, brows knitted in fury.

Kumiko chuckled. She couldn't help it; it sounded ridiculous coming from someone she'd beaten! "Excuse me? I think that's where you're wrong, Takenori…" she replied, retrieving her blade from the dish and re-attaching it to her launcher. "You couldn't even hit me with your attacks earlier!"

"Well, that was only the first round…"

"3…2…1…Go, shoot!"

Once more, both bladers launched their respective blades into the dish, and this time, Shizuka did not waste time.

"Wolborg!"

A chilling roar, deep and sounding like it came from beneath the ground, resounded in the air. And then, an enormous silver wolf emerged from the center of the red blade. The fur glistening, as though real silver, the dangerously sharp claws protruding from its paws, and the deadly collar of icicles it wore – it was a fearsome sight to behold were one knew to the blading world.

Once more Wolborg gave a might growl, announcing its arrival to all; Kumiko stared at it, worried now, though she tried not to give it away. She knew of the connection between blader and bit beast – that when Wolborg attacked and Suzaku, when and if she decided to release it, were to be injured, so would she – but it was just as dangerous to fight an opponent and not release your own beast; you could still get hurt. The amethyst-eyed teen remained firm in her decision, though, to not unleash her bit beast unless it was absolutely necessary.

She decided to continue to use her tactic from the first round. "That's a cute pet," she commented, pretending to look amused. "Where'd you get it?"

Shizuka smirked. "Whatever you're trying to pull, Fujiwara, it won't work this time!" She locked gazes with her bit beast and then nodded. "Do it!"

Almost instantly, icicles began forming around the giant wolf, and then came flying towards Kumiko and her blade.

Amethyst orbs widened upon seeing the attack, and Kumiko attempted to dodge each icicle as it came. A fair number, however, found their mark, earning a strangled cry from the victim as each one hit.

"Oh, no! Kumiko and her blade have been hit by Shizuka's attack, boys and girls!" DJ Jazzman commented, worry evident in his voice; he remembered well the events of two years past, when a blader was hospitalized, and one was reported to have died – and been reborn, or something similar to that – after coming out of matches like the one playing in front of him.

"You…surprised me with…that attack…Takenori…" Kumiko said weakly as she got to her feet. She gazed at the dish and saw that her blade was still spinning – it was kind of slow, but nevertheless, it was spinning.

"I'm surprised you're still standing after that attack, Fujiwara…" Shizuka smirked, folding her arms across her chest. And then suddenly, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "But I'm sure you and that blade of yours won't be standing after _this_ attack! Wolborg! _Ice Cavern_!"

"What -?" Kumiko began, but the cried out in pain; her arm felt like it had been crushed beneath something, yet had not broken. She clutched at it, feeling for broken bones; there were none. She turned her attention to the dish – and gasped.

The dark blue blade that was Dranzer was slowly disappearing under a steadily growing pile of ice and snow. All of a sudden…

"AAAAAAGH!" The raven-haired teen screamed, flying backwards as though she herself had been attacked and landing with a dull thud on the platform behind her; a few moments later, Dranzer came whistling out of the dish and came to rest beside the girl, mere inches away from her outstretched hand.

"And Fujiwara Kumiko is out for the count!" the energetic announcer exclaimed. "Will she be able to rise and do battle once more, before she and her team are disqualified?"

"And in how many minutes will that be?" Shizuka asked loudly, smirking. DJ Jazzman looked taken aback by this brazen display of hate towards a fellow blader, but he recovered quickly.

"In answer to your question, Shizuka, cut-off time for disqualification will be…" – he consulted his wristwatch – "…five minutes from now."

Meanwhile, Team BBA had rushed towards the stadium – for who else would see to it that the amethyst-eyed teen was still alive?

"Kumiko?" Rei called softly, giving the girl a gentle shake. No response. Max, Takao, and then Rei – again – tried their luck, to no avail.

"She's not…she's not answering us…" Takao looked truly panicked now. "Kai, what should we do?"

Kai didn't reply, but heaved himself up onto the stadium itself and knelt beside the unconscious girl.

"Kumiko," he called, his voice soft, but firm. "Kumiko, you need to get up. We know you're in pain, but you _have_ to get up _now_. Otherwise, your team will be disqualified, and Team Leviathan will win by default."

At these words, Kumiko stirred, groaning as she did so, and sat up wearily. "Kai-san…" she began. "What…happened?"

"You were battling Takenori Shizuka, and you were knocked unconscious," the slate-haired teen replied. "Now get up; you don't want your team to be disqualified _now_, do you?" He got up and held out a hand to her, ready to help her up.

Kumiko shook her head. "I can get up by myself, thank you," she said, pushing herself painfully to her feet.

"Kumiko, are you sure you're all right?" Max asked, his brow knitted with concern. The ebony-haired girl turned and smiled at the blonde.

"_Hai, daijoubu…_" she said, trying to reassure her trainers.

Suddenly, the competition area filled with cheers; Kumiko turned back, startled. Across the stadium, she could see that Shizuka was fuming; DJ Jazzman, on the other hand, was happily announcing the 'news'.

"Yes, folks! Fujiwara Kumiko manages to avoid disqualifying her team by a mere forty-five seconds! But that doesn't mean the battle's over! We still have the third round to accomplish!"

"Kai-_san_, I think you'd better go…" Kumiko muttered to the crimson-eyed boy beside her. "I can take it from here."

Kai jumped down from the platform, and then motioned for his team to follow, which they did.

"Here we go!" DJ Jazzman was saying as they took their seats. "Bladers ready?"

"Wait…" Kumiko interrupted. "There's…something I have to fix first."

"_What _is so important that you interrupt the countdown?" Shizuka asked, frowning. "For all we know you could be attaching a…a razor or some other sharp object to your blade, or something like that…"

Kumiko looked up from attaching her blade to her launcher, purple orbs flashing. "_Never_ accuse me of such trickery, Takenori!" she burst forth. She raised the arm that held the launcher, her fist at a level with her eye, and reached the other hand up to the buckles that held her armguards in place.

"Ha!" Shizuka let out an impertinent laugh upon spotting the red armbands. "Do you take me for a fool, Fujiwara? Just because you use a pair of armbands modeled after the ones Hiwatari Kai-_shi_ 1 uses doesn't mean you have the strength or abilities _he _has."

Kumiko ignored the remark; she'd let her actions speak to her. Keeping her gaze trained on Shizuka, she silently unbuckled the straps on both armguards, and let them drop onto the platform.

**_THUD!_**

"Did I just see what I thought I saw?" DJ Jazzman asked, rubbing his eyes in bewilderment. "All this time I thought the armguards the captain of Team Phoenix wore were just copies of Kai's, but it turns out they're the real deal! Does this mean-"

"- That you've been holding back?" Shizuka asked, incredulous. _It _has_ to be a trick…_she thought.

Kumiko smirked, raising her hands above her head – her favorite launching position. "Not really, Takenori…I think of it as a…self-handicap, if you will."

"Looks like we're all set, folks, so _let's do this_! Bladers, 3…2…1…_Go, shoot_!"

"_Ikuzo, _Wolborg!" Shizuka cried as she let fly her blade, a crimson blur as it entered the dish. Across from the steel-eyed girl, Kumiko brought her arms swinging downwards and, as was her custom when performing the Fury Launch, pulled hard on the ripcord when they were at a precise 45-degree angle to her torso. There was only a dark blue streak in the air, and then…

Shizuka's eyes widened. "Where…where did it go?" The blue blade had vanished. A sudden vibration shook the stadium, nearly knocking the blue black-haired teen off her feet; it was so strong! "What was _that_?" She glanced at her opponent.

Kumiko smirked. She'd been waiting for this chance! "That vibration? It was caused by my blade slamming into yours, Takenori…"

"Your – no way!" Gray-blue orbs widened with alarm, and then pain as a stinging sensation ran up her left side. "But…your blade's not even _in _the dish! How can you be attacking?" she asked hoarsely, clutching at her arm, which hung limp as though broken.

"Look closely."

Shizuka did so, and gasped. At regular intervals, the shadow of a blade would appear next to her crimson one, and then her blade would jerk wildly as though struck by something. She glanced back up upon discovery of this, eyes narrowed dangerously. "So I see…" she half-whispered. "You weren't joking, then, with this little armband stunt you pulled."

"Who said I was?"

Shizuka didn't answer; instead, she turned to her bit beast – which she'd released as she was 'chatting' with her amethyst-eyed opponent. "_Now_, Wolborg! Crush her! _Novae Rouge_!"

Suddenly it seemed as though there was ice all around the stadium. Kumiko frowned. _This isn't good; with all this ice, I won't be able to use the speed I'd gathered at the beginning of this round, unless…_ It was risky, but worth a shot. She sent the silent command to her blade – which only she could see at this point – and it began spiraling crazily around the dish and shattering the icicles it came across. That is, until it his a particularly thick one and bounced off, becoming visible to its opponent once more.

"_Mitsuketa_!" Shizuka exclaimed, eyes glinting. "All right! Wolborg!" At once, Kumiko's Dranzer was encased in ice, and the crimson blade moved in for the kill. A sound like shattering glass, a stifled shout, and the raven-haired teen stepped back, trying to stay on her feet.

Kumiko glanced up after a few seconds, her face devoid of emotion. "Okay, Dranzer, _Goukakyuu Arashi_!" The dark navy blade began to emit huge fireballs – when compared to the size of the blades – shooting off in every direction.

"Looks like Kumiko's turning up her offensive, and _boy_, is this match heating up!" DJ Jazzman yelled into the mic; he hadn't commented the past few minutes because he himself was caught up with watching the match.

"No! Wolborg, dodge!"

But there was no need to dodge the attacks; Wolborg was not Dranzer's target…at least, for now. Almost immediately, the remaining ice in the stadium melted, and then evaporated.

"Dranzer, do it! _Flaming Crash_!"

The dark blue blade began to whiz around the dish once more, increasing its speed until it was nothing more than a blur again. And then…

"NO!" Shizuka cried. Her blade was flying through the air now. The jet-haired girl closed her eyes and prayed that it wouldn't land outside the stadium, but…

"Shizuka's OUT, ladies and gentlemen!" DJ Jazzman yelled as the crowd burst into spirited applause and cheers. "In a dynamic finish, Team Phoenix knocks Team Leviathan out of the race for the last spot in the finals!"

Kumiko retrieved her blade, and then silently approached her opponent, who was kneeling on the ground dejectedly. Kumiko stood in front of the girl and extended a hand; Shizuka looked up, puzzled.

"_Nani_?"

The raven-haired teen offered a small smile. "Congratulations, Takenori."

"What for?"

"For doing your best in this match, that's what." Kumiko replied. She arched an eyebrow. "What are you waiting for? You can't sit there in defeat for the rest of the day; you _have_ to get up at some time."

Shizuka was silent for a while, and then reluctantly grasped Kumiko's hand. The amethyst-eyed teen's smile grew wider a bit, and then she braced herself and hauled the other girl up to her feet.

"Let's give it up for the two of them, folks!"

Once more the audience burst into applause. Hesitantly, Kumiko began to smile and wave at them; Shizuka followed suit seconds later, just as shyly.

"Kumiko!"

The raven-haired teen whirled around at the sound of her name, and a grin broke over her face. Running towards her were Takao and his friends, grinning broadly – well, Kai wasn't running, but he _was_ close behind his companions, and he had a small smile on his face.

Kumiko hastily made her way down the platform steps to meet her trainers, who showered her with shouts of 'Congratulations!' and 'You did it!', and other praising remarks. The heliotrope-eyed 2 teen blushed as she accepted these words. Then her eyes widened as she remembered.

"Kinomiya-_sensei_," – she addressed everyone save Kai in this manner, for they had not yet given her permission to call them by their given names – "How are Chiaki, Kaito, and Taichi?"

Takao smiled. "Chiaki's fine, Kumiko. You remember, don't you, that she came from her match with only scratches?"

"_Hai_…but I can't help but worry about them; they _are_ my friends and teammates, after all…but what of Kaito and Taichi? Will they be all right soon?"

"We don't know yet, Kumiko," Rei answered for the dark blue-haired teen. "We came from the infirmary a few minutes into your match, but we couldn't ask the physician about his prognosis for both Kaito and Taichi; he wasn't there, and the attending nurse doesn't know the prognosis either…"

The phoenix wielder was silent for a moment, and then muttered, "I see…"

"And there you have it, girls and boys!" DJ Jazzman was saying as he indicated the announcement screen. "The two championship teams who've made it to the Finals: Team Basilisk, and Team Phoenix!"

The BBA commentator waited for the cheers to die down, and then continued. "Team Basilisk's benefactor has kindly suggested that the Finals take place two-and-a-half weeks from now," – here there were indignant cries from the audience, and Jazzman had to raise his voice – "in order to facilitate the recovery of Matsuo Kaito and Shimamoto Taichi. Seeing as Team Phoenix would be two members short if the Finals were to take place immediately – a rather unfair disqualification, in the BBA's decision – we have decided to follow his suggestion."

"I wonder who this benefactor is; he seems awfully nice…" Kumiko commented, scanning the sponsors' box – a special area of chairs where the benefactors for the different teams were seated. When she found none, she shrugged._Maybe they didn'tdesignate a specific area forsponsors this year..._ she thought._Oh, well..._

She turned to her companions. "Willyou guys excuse me? I think I'll go see Kaito and Taichi now, and probably meet up with Chiakiin the team room later."

Max smiled. "By all means, Kumiko, go ahead! We don't mind."

"Catch you later!" Takaoadded, grinning widely.

Kumiko began to run towards the corridor leading to the infirmary, but glanced back over her shoulder and waved at the group. "Yeah, later!"

* * *

"Hey, Kaito," Kumiko greeted as she came in. Kaito gave her a wan smile, and the raven-haired teen wearily closed the door. "Did anyone tell you?" Kumiko continued, still smiling. "We've made it to the finals!"

"That's great!" the chocolate-haired teen exclaimed with as much excitement as he could muster in his current condition.

"Um-hmm…" The amethyst-eyed teen nodded. "So, how are you feeling?"

"A little better, Kumiko…" Kaito answered. "The doctor said it was something in what I ate earlier, and not to worry; I'll get it out of my system soon enough…"

"I see…" Kumiko returned, though she still looked worried. _Something in the food? _she thought. _It seems impossible; we ate at the same restaurant, and it was a buffet! How come only Kaito was affected?_

"Have you gone to see Taichi yet?" Kaito asked, breaking into the amethyst-eyed teen's thoughts. The girl shook her head slowly.

"But I'll go to see him soon; I just wanted to check up on you since you were the first to be taken ill."

Kaito grinned and rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Oh, please…you're sounding more like a mother hen than a team captain! You worry too much about us, and look at the state of you, all scratched up."

"Huh?" Kumiko sounded surprised, and then realization hit her. "Oh, yeah, that…"

"I think you'd better get some rest yourself after you visit Taichi, Kumiko…" The teal-eyed teen suggested.

"Nah, I don't think so; these are just scratches…And, I forgot to tell you that you and Taichi have two weeks and a couple of days to recover; the sponsor of our opposing team, Team Basilisk, suggested this 'cause he thought it would be an unfair disqualification or something like that…"

"That's good…" Kaito replied, glancing at the silver blade that lay on his desk.

"Well, you rest now so you can participate in the upcoming finals, Kaito…" Kumiko continued, making her way towards the door and opening it. "I hope you get better soon."

"Yeah, thanks."

The door swung shut, and Kaito was lost in his own world once more. He picked up his blade and gazed at the bit chip. There, Byakko, the white tiger, gleamed a pleasant green, as though to reassure its young master.

* * *

"Maybe the boys aren't cut out for Beyblading…" Chiaki said suddenly. She, Kumiko, Yuujin and Shun were in the team room, while Kai and the others were out on a nighttime stroll.

"Pardon?" Kumiko looked up from the book she was reading.

"I said that perhaps Kaito and Taichi aren't suited to blade," the ash blonde teen repeated herself, a small grin on her face.

"Why?" Yuujin asked, turning her attention away from her TV show.

Chiaki's grin grew wider. "Well, so far, only they've been admitted to the stadium infirmary, and you and I, Kumiko, came out of our matches with only scratches – and pretty minor ones at that…"

"You're kidding, aren't you, Chiaki?" Kumiko arched one slim eyebrow, grinning as she did. "I know you wouldn't be so serious about such things if you were to say them…especially where Taichi is concerned…"

"Huh?" Chiaki looked genuinely puzzled, but there was no mistaking that slight tinge of pink on her cheeks. "Why Taichi?"

Kumiko put down her book and went to join her friend at the table. "I've seen the way you look at him, Chiaki," she said as she sat down.

"What do you mean?" The emerald-eyed teen asked, looking at her hands in her lap in order to hide the blush, however small it was.

"Oh, come now!" Kumiko replied, smiling gently. "Don't give me any crap that you see him only as a friend. You _like_ him, don't you?"

Chiaki glanced up, surprised. "Wha-? How-?"

Kumiko gave a small laugh. "I saw how you reacted when he got injured during his match in the Semi-Finals, and I've watched enough soap operas to know how someone in love reacts when the object of their affections is injured or admitted to the hospital…"

"It's _that_ obvious?" Chiaki half-whispered, glancing back down again, the blush spreading even wider. "Does he know?"

"Don't worry, Chiaki," Kumiko reassured. "I don't think he's noticed…yet."

"You won't tell him, will you?"

Kumiko shook her head. "No, I won't. Like I said, don't worry; your secrets safe with me…"

"Uh, don't you think you guys had better be going off to bed?" Shun asked, looking up from his laptop. "It's nearing nine, and if you guys are going to recover quickly, I suggest you get more sleep."

"Fine by me," Kumiko replied, getting up and stretching. "Especially since I plan to be up early so I can train a bit; I certainly can't let these two weeks go to waste."

"Good idea," Chiaki piped up, standing up as well. "I guess I'll join you in your training tomorrow, so that means I'd better go up to my room now, too."

"Great! See you at around eight-thirty?" Kumiko suggested.

"After breakfast?" Chiaki asked. The raven-haired teen nodded, and Chiaki smiled. "Okay. Eight-thirty it is. See you!" And the green-eyed teen was out the door. Kumiko stayed behind for a while.

"What about you guys?" she asked, turning to Shun and Yuujin. "Aren't you going to go to your rooms, too?"

"Not yet," Shun replied. "I still want to finish typing this up,"

"And I want to finish this movie," Yuujin answered, her attention back on the TV set. "It's getting interesting."

"Okay, well, see you guys tomorrow, then. _Oyasuminasai._"

"_Oyasuminasai_."

* * *

"Hiwatari-_sensei_!"

Kai turned when he heard his name being called; running towards him was Yuujin, and – this fact disturbed him greatly – she looked really worried. It was the day after the rather disastrousSemi-Finals (for some members, at least), and seeing one of Kumiko's friends in such distress...

"_Nani, _Yuujin­-_san_?" he asked as he stood still, allowing theauburn-haired teento catch up with him. She did after a few moments, and bent forwards, her hands resting on her knees as she caught her breath.

"Have you…have you seen Kumiko this morning?" she asked, between gasps.

"No, I haven't. Why would you be looking for her?"

"She and Chiaki made an agreement to meet up at eight-thirty this morning; they were supposed to train together. Chiaki came up to me just a few minutes earlier and told me that she never showed up! Shun didn't see her in the team room, and Kaito and Taichi said that she hasn't been to visit them today yet."

"Have you or Chiaki asked Takao, Max, Kyouju and Rei?" Kai suggested, trying to calm her down. "Perhaps they've seen her."

"We both asked them already, and they haven't seen her either."

"She could still be asleep. Maybe she was so tired she didn't hear her alarm, or she could have forgotten to set her alarm. That sometimes happens."

"You could be right…" Yuujin said, crossing her arms and looking thoughtful. "I never did check in her room. Could you accompany me there?" she asked.

Kai nodded. "Fine. I'll come with you."

"_Arigatou_." Yuujin bowed, and then turned and started down the hall, with Kai close behind her. After around five minutes, the two were standing outside Kumiko's bedroom. Kai stepped forward and rapped smartly on the door.

"Kumiko?" he called rather loudly.

There was no answer. Once more the slate-haired teen knocked on the wood, even louder than the last one. "Kumiko, open up! What are you doing in there, anyway?" Once more there was no reply, and Kai grit his teeth in frustration. He turned to the aqua-eyed teen beside him. "Itoe, go and call a stadium official and ask for the key to Kumiko's room. I'd open the door myself, but..."

Yuujin got his meaning, turned, and ran down the hall. Kai leaned against the wall in his habitual fashion, trying to come up with different reasons why the wielder of Suzaku wasn't answering them.

Soon the auburn-haired teen returned, a rather burly man at her heels. Wordlessly, the bigger man stepped up, produced a set of keys, and, after selecting one, handed it to Kai, who merely nodded his thanks. He turned back to the door and inserted the key in the lock.

_Click!_

Hearing this, Kai grabbed the doorknob and swung the door inwards to reveal the room. Yuujin gasped, and the slate-haired teen stood frozen to the spot, hardly daring to believe his eyes.

The room – which he knew his protégée kept quite tidy – was in complete disarray, showing signs of a struggle. The cushioned chair that always stood in front of the oak desk at one wall was now upended and leaning against the opposite wall, and the sheets were strewn about the room.

"What – what happened here?" the burly official asked, finally finding his voice. "It looks like a twister hit this place…"

"I'm afraid I have no idea, sir…" Kai replied. And then, he spotted two pieces of paper lying upon the desk. Quickly, he strode into the room, went over to the desk, and picked up the sheets and examined them. The handwriting on the second note was smaller, and it was lengthier than the first. The first note, Kai realized, was in Kumiko's handwriting, and it contained just one word.

'_Tasukete._'

Garnet orbs widened, and then he quickly scanned the second note.

'_We have the girl. Don't try to look for her; you'll only get hurt._' The note said. Seething, Kai crumpled it into a little ball and threw it into the wastebasket nearby.

"Hiwatari-_sensei, _what is it?" Yuujin asked, looking even more worried than before. "The note you picked up, it was from Kumiko, wasn't it?"

"Actually, there were _two_ notes, Yuujin-_san_," Kai replied, closing his eyes in an attempt to calm himself. "The one I threw into the wastebasket wasn't from Kumiko, but someone who apparently has her with him – or her – as we speak."

"You mean…" Aqua eyes widened, threatening to tear up. "Kumiko's been _kidnapped_?"

Kai nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. The first note I read was from Kumiko, and it said 'help', nothing more…"

"Oh, no…"

"I'll go inform the chairman right away," Kai said, turning on his heel. Seconds later, they could hear his urgent footsteps dashing down the hallway.

"Wait! I'll go with you!" Yuujin called, dashing after him

* * *

"This is outrageous!" Chairman Daitouji exclaimed, looking worried. "That means _four_ bladers have been kidnapped in just one night!"

"Four, sir?" the slate-haired teen asked, puzzled.

"Yes,_ four_. At around nine this morning,a member of Team Basilisk - I forgot whohis name -approached me, looking frantic. He said that his team captain, Akimoto Ryushi, had failed to meet with him and his teammates, sothey went to his room to check. Ryushi's room showed signs of a fight of some sort taking place, and on his desk,they found _this_." Here the elderly man held up three small white sheets of paper. "The other two were found in Takenori Shizuka and Tachikawa Takeshi's rooms; unfortunately, these last two were also reported missing, some fifteen minutes before you two came in.

Kai's eyes widened when he read the topmost one.

"Chairman, these notes are identical to the one I found in Kumiko's room!" he exclaimed.

"Then that means it was only one person – or one group – that kidnapped all five…" Daitouji mused, setting the notes back on his desk.

"What can we do?" Yuujin asked. "And…if they kidnapped all the team captains of the semi-finalist teams-" the young girl had noticed the pattern – "doesn't that mean that they'll soon be after the members, too?"

"Yes, that's possible…" the balding man said. He reached into his pocket, took out a handkerchief, and mopped his brow. "As for what we will do…we certainly can't neglect the safety of our bladers." He turned to Yuujin. "You are a friend of Kumiko's, aren't you?" Yuujin nodded, and Chairman Daitouji continued. "Then please tell her teammates what has happened, and tell them also not to worry. We'll do everything in our power to protect those still here, and also to finding the victims."

"What of the tournament?" Kai asked.

"Well, it will have to be postponed again if we don't find the four of them soon."

Kai nodded, and turned to the auburn-haired girl beside him. "Let's go, Yuujin-_san_; we have to tell Chiaki and the others as soon as possible."

Yuujin nodded, still worried, and followed the scarlet-eyed teen out of the office. _Kumiko…_ she thought, clutching a hand to her chest, _where can you be?_

* * *

"What?" Kaito shot up in bed – he was feeling better now, but was still confined to the infirmary. "What do you mean she's been _kidnapped_?"

"I mean just that, Matsuo," Kai replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "She and three others – team captains, just like her – were reported missing just this morning.

"But…but who would do such a thing?" Taichi asked. He had been transferred from his solitary ward to this one, with a bed next to his teammates.

"We have no idea, but Chairman Daitouji has vowed to find out for us, and hopefully to rescue those kidnapped. Now he wants everyone not to worry, and also to be watchful of ourselves; we don't want anyone else to fall prey to this kidnapper – or kidnappers."

"What will happen if Kumiko and the others aren't found in two weeks?" Chiaki asked. Initially, she'd thought that her captain had simply forgotten to meet her that morning, but when she learned the girl had been kidnapped…

"The tournament will be postponed even further."

Suddenly, the door banged open, and in dashed Takao, dragging Max and Rei behind him. "Is it…is it true?" the stormy-eyed teen asked between gasps, finally letting go of the blonde and the neko-jin in order to rest his palms on his knees to steady himself.

"Yes! Kumi-_chan_'s been kidnapped!" Yuujin burst forth from her seat near Kaito's bed.

"Phew! What a relief!" Takao heaved a great sigh, and then flopped down onto the nearest stool. "I thought for a moment there, she'd decided to follow Kai's footsteps and gone to the opposing team or something. You guys remember, when – OW!" He suddenly yelped, rubbing the back of his head where Kai had clocked him.

"This is serious, Kinomiya; there's no time for kidding around…"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" Takao huffed.

"So how will the BBA find them?" Max asked, also taking a seat on the blue couch that occupied the wall next to the door. Rei sat down beside him.

"We don't know…" Yuujin replied, looking down at the floor. "Daitouji-_sama_ said they'd do everything they could."

"And they expect us to do nothing?" Chiaki looked riled at this. "Why can't we go looking for them, too?"

Kai uncrossed his arms. "Because you might get hurt in the process, and the chairman doesn't want that." The slate-haired teen walked over to the open window and gazed outside. On the surrounding lawn, the teams affected had gathered, apparently discussing courses of action. "There isn't proof that whoever kidnapped Kumiko and the others isn't going to come after you, too," he added, continuing to stare out of the window, but gazing at nothing in particular.

"But you can't prove that they _will_ come after us, can you?" Kaito asked, a small smile on his face.

The garnet-eyed teen was silent as he pondered Kaito's remark. It was true; there'd been no sign that the other members were in danger as well. He sighed. "_Hai_."

Rei glanced at the teal-eyed teen. "Kaito, in gaining that information, what do you plan to do?"

"Well…we can't just sit and wait for Kumiko and the others to be found. We're their friends, and they need our help. I don't know about you guys, but I want to go look for them as soon as I feel better."

"I agree with Kaito," Taichi said as he slowly sat up. He was recovering very fast, the members of Team BBA noticed, and they all thought he'd be out of the infirmary in less than three days. Already most of the color had come back to his face. "What kind of team would we be if we left her to deal with this situation alone?"

"That's true…" Max commented. "However, I don't thing the BBA search committee, if there _is_ one, would-"

"Who said anything about the BBA search committee?" Kaito grinned. He reached over to the side table and grasped his Beyblade. "Kumiko told me once that bit beasts could sort of sense each other; they just need to be informed on who to search for, and then it will be a simple task of following them."

"Hey, you're right!" Chiaki grinned. "That way, we waste less time!"

"And the sooner we find them," Taichi added, also smiling. "There are more chances that they haven't been hurt by their kidnappers."

Takao stood up. "I think it's a great idea!" Around him, his companions nodded in agreement. Only Kai didn't comment, something that didn't go unnoticed by his friends.

"Kai?" Max glanced at the stoic teen. "You're the only one who hasn't said anything about Kaito's suggestion."

Kai turned away from the window. "In case any of you are wondering, I was listening the whole time. Kaito's idea would have worked, in theory…"

"What do you mean, 'in theory'?" Takao asked, a small frown creasing his frown. His captain's words worried him.

"I mean, it would have worked if circumstances had been different. There's just one small problem…" The crimson-eyed teen reached into his back pocket, took out something, and held it up for all to see. "I found _this_ lying beside her bed earlier."

It was Kumiko's Beyblade.

* * *

A/N: dundunDUN... XD woooh, boy...another cliffhanger there...Just a question: is it quite obvious who kidnapped the four missing bladers? If it is, well, I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do; the fic's pretty much set in stone now...

I'll keep this 'goodbye note' short...Peace out and God bless!


	10. Chapter 9: The Search

A/N: Yatta! New chapter, everyone! Meanwhile, I apologize for the delay in updates in my other stories; for some strange reason, this archive will not let me upload the fifth chapter for 'Hikari'...grr.

Dislaimer: If I owned Beyblade, I wouldn't be posting here, would I?

00000000000000000000000000

**Chapter 9: The Search**

Kumiko groaned, and then gave a small cough. A small frown showed on the raven-haired teen's face as she struggled to sit up. Finally she did, and coughed weakly once more. However, she recovered soon enough, and began to examine her surroundings and her companions. There were only four of them – two boys, another girl, and herself – and they were inside a dingy-looking room, with gray walls, only one small barred window, and no furniture. In fact, Kumiko realized, shivering inwardly, the room they were in bore some semblance to a dungeon!

"Hey, you finally woke up," One of the boys noted as he came closer. Kumiko took note of his pale blue eyes and sandy brown hair. "Your name's…Fujiwara Kumiko, right?" he asked. She nodded, smiling.

"Yes, that's right. And you are-?"

"Akimoto Ryushi, captain of Team Basilisk." He and Kumiko exchanged handshakes, then the amethyst-eyed teen turned to the other two occupants. Her eyes widened upon seeing Shizuka's familiar features

"Takenori-_san_, you're here as well?"

The brunette nodded sullenly. "Unfortunately, yes. It happened late last night, when I was almost asleep. Someone came up behind me and tried to restrain me. I fought, but he – or she – managed to knock me out." She looked up. "Is that what happened to you, too?"

"Actually, I was asleep already, but at around midnight, I just woke up for no reason. And then I saw the shadow of someone creeping in through the window. Like you, I also fought, but whoever it was soon had me subdued."

"Same thing happened to _me_," piped up their other male companion. Kumiko turned towards him, trying to recall his name.

The purple-eyed teen smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, but I really can't remember your name right now, though a friend of mine pointed you out to me one time."

The boy, who had dull blue-green eyes and coffee-brown hair, smiled. "It's okay, though I have to admit, there's no need for you to introduce yourself, Fujiwara-san. Anyway, I'm Tachikawa Takeshi, captain of Team Griffin." Once more, handshakes were exchanged, and then everyone sat back down.

"So…does anyone have any idea where we are?" Takeshi asked.

"I'm not sure, but this looks to be some sort of closed prison cell – closed because it has no bars or anything, except for the ones on the window. But there _is_ a door at the far end," Ryushi answered. "As for exactly where…I don't know if we're still in Japan or not…"

"Great…" Shizuka muttered.

"Wait," Kumiko peered at the sandy-haired teen curiously. "Ryushi, how'd you know there was a door at the far end of this room?"

"Well, I regained consciousness before all three of you, so I took to learning as much about this room as I could. So, I found the door there – it's painted to blend in with the bricks, but you can tell it's made of metal; thing is, it's locked. And as far as I could tell, there's no way to pick the lock from in here."

"Darn…"

Once more silence reigned, each of the four teens lost in their own thoughts, though each was thinking the same thing: how do we escape?

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"Oh, man!" Kaito slammed his fist on the side table. "_Now_ how are we going to find them if Kumiko wasn't able to bring her blade?"

"Maybe we could as our bit beasts to sense those of the other three she's with now," Chiaki suggested.

"Not a chance," Kai replied almost immediately. He had gone back to staring out the window. "I think the other teams just thought about doing what you suggested, Kaito, and it turns out none of the kidnap victims were able to bring their blades with them."

"Great…" Kaito slumped back against the pillows.

"Hey, cheer up, guys!" Taichi piped up. "We'll think of something…"

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_Shk!_

The four captives looked up as the door – just where Ryushi had said it would be – slid open, and a man stepped into the room; unfortunately, it was too dark for any of the four to distinguish any features.

"So, all of you are awake," the man said as he came closer. "Good. That means we can start immediately."

"Start what?" Shizuka asked, glaring up at him.

"You shall find out soon enough…especially since you've been chosen to go first."

"What the-?" The brunette started as the man grabbed her wrist and hauled her up. "Hey! Let me go!" The steel-eyed girl threw a punch aimed at the guy's ribs, but he caught it with his free hand.

"It will be better for you if you cooperate, Takenori Shizuka," a deep voice suddenly resonated through the room.

"Who-?" Kumiko started to say, standing up and glancing furtively around. She knew that the voice had to be coming from hidden speakers, but even so, it had scared the wits out of her.

A dark chuckle came in reply. "My, my…a little agitated, are we, Fujiwara Kumiko? I wonder why…"

"You should know, you freak!" Ryushi shot back. "Who the hell are you, anyway? And why have you taken us here?"

"Patience, dear Ryushi, patience…Now, Damoto, bring in the girl."

The man – Damoto – who had entered their prison snapped to attention, tightening his grip on Shizuka's arm. "At once, sir."

"No! Let go!" Shizuka looked panicked now, and she struggled even harder to break Damoto's grip. Takeshi, seeing her distress, rushed over to help but was knocked quickly aside, skidding on his back into a corner.

"Takeshi!" Kumiko hurried over to the dazed teen and helped him sit up. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah…" The brown-haired teen answered, rubbing his neck. "Nothing's broken; I'm just a bit shaken up, that's all…"

_Clang!_

Kumiko glanced up, startled, and saw that the door had been shut; both Shizuka and Ryushi were gone. The amethyst orbs widened. "Oh, no…"

"They were both taken out?" Takeshi asked. Kumiko nodded, and both teens fell silent.

A few minutes later, Shizuka's and Ryushi's voices came over the loudspeakers; they were speaking at the same time, so the occupants of the room could only make out bits and pieces.

"It's _you_!" Ryushi was saying. "You little -"

"Ryushi, do you know this person?" Shizuka interrupted. "How did-"

" - When I get my hands on you, I'll-"

"Take the girl to the inner room," came the command from the mastermind behind their capture, and then a shriek.

"Ah! No! Get away from me! What are you going to do? Ryushi, _help_!"

"You'd better-"

"Oh, and give this one a tranquilizer," the man continued. "Just to get him ready; it's _his_ turn next, after all…

"I swear to-" Ryushi stopped speaking suddenly; Kumiko knew it was the tranquilizer they had no doubt given him. Shizuka's voice could no longer be heard, either; apparently she was in the 'inner room' by that time.

The raven-haired teen turned to her companion. "We have to find a way out of here, fast."

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"Uh, guys?"

All of them – Team BBA, the members of Team Phoenix, Shun, and Yuujin – were still in the infirmary; it was Yuujin who had just spoken, breaking the awful silence.

"Yeah?" Chiaki glanced up from her lap and at the auburn-haired teen.

"I just got an idea…"

"Well, what is it?" Takao asked, looking eager.

The aqua-eyed teen took a deep breath. "Well, what if we used Suzaku to find Kumiko and the others?"

Kaito arched an eyebrow. "How do we do that?"

"Isn't it true that you guys have some sort of bond with your bit beasts? Well, what if the bit beast can sense where you are _through_ that bond?"

"It's worth a shot…" Rei commented. "We've never tried it that way before, but who says that it won't work?"

"All right, then!" Takao jumped up from his seat. "Kaito, Taichi, we'll just wait for the two of you to recover fully, and then we'll go on that search."

"Thanks." Kaito replied, offering everyone a small smile. "The doctor said I'd probably be out of here the day after tomorrow."

"Same here," Taichi added, flashing a thumbs-up.

"That's good to hear," Max said. "At least the two of you are making a quick recovery." The blonde, too, stood up, stretched, and made for the door. "I'll tell Chairman Daitouji about the plan; we can't just jet off searching for someone without his say-so."

"You do that, Max," Takao said, nodding in agreement. "Meanwhile, I think I'll head to my room and take a nap."

One by one, the visitors left the room until Kai was the only one left with Taichi and Kaito. He fingered Dranzer, which he'd placed in his pocket, as he went over the probable outcomes of this little 'rescue' they had planned.

He hoped nothing would go wrong.

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"What do you think happened to them?" Takeshi asked, staring out the window. It was nighttime now, but neither Ryuichi nor Shizuka had been brought in yet.

Kumiko sighed, wrapping her hands around her knees and resting her head on them. "I don't know…but I feel very unsettled, for some reason…"

"Well, better unsettled or nervous than starving…"

The amethyst-eyed teen smiled at that comment. "True…" Twice that day – once at what must have been noon, and then again only around an hour earlier – someone had brought them food. The two teens knew that whoever had kidnapped them didn't want them growing weak or passing out from lack of nourishment.

"But still…I can feel that something bad has happened…" the raven-haired teen continued, half-mumbling to herself.

The room fell silent again, both of the remaining occupants lost in their own thoughts. And then Takeshi walked over to Kumiko, sat down beside her, and then laid a hand on her shoulder. "Are you…scared, Kumiko-_san_?"

The girl shook her head slowly. "Not really…at least, not scared enough to disable myself from thinking straight…"

"Well, then, perhaps you'd care to join me on an…excursion." The blue-green orbs seemed to twinkle mischievously when he said that. Kumiko's head shot up.

"Are you…suggesting we try to escape from here?" she asked, knowing the answer even before she asked.

Takeshi nodded. "Yup! Unless I miss my guess, you're the last one they'll come for and experiment on, _if_ they _did_ perform an experiment on Ryuichi-_san _and Shizuka­-_san_…"

Kumiko's eyes widened when she heard this, but she soon got over the initial shock. "Well, what do I have to do?"

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"Hey, Kaito! Taichi!" Shun called to the two teens, who had just emerged from the stadium infirmary.

"Hi there, Shun." Taichi replied, waving at the team researcher.

"It's certainly nice to know you guys have been released," Chiaki commented, grinning as she did so.

"The two of you sure recovered quickly…" Rei observed. Only he and Takao had accompanied Chiaki and Shun; Max, Kai, Yuujin and Kyouju were in the team room. "Wasn't it only yesterday that the doctors said that both of you need around two more days to heal completely?"

"Yeah, well…" Kaito shrugged. "We must have healed sooner than expected, then…"

"Which is a good thing," Shun added, starting off down the hall back towards the team room. "C'mon, the others are probably waiting for us…"

It had been quite surprising for Team BBA, Shun, and Chiaki to find out that Taichi and Kaito had completely recovered, but it was more of a surprise when they found that Chairman Daitouji had given them the go-ahead to field their own search for the kidnap victims; they guessed he wanted to bring the four teens back as safe and uninjured as possible.

So, as per their discussion the day before, they would start the search that very day; they were to gather in the team room, and then set out.

"Finally!" Yuujin exclaimed, jumping up off her seat when the six teens crossed the threshold. "I was beginning to think you'd _never_ get here!"

"Don't be like that, Yuujin…" Chiaki said as she took her seat. "We had to go slowly for Taichi and Kaito's sakes."

"Well, I'm just glad the two of you are all right now," Max said, glancing at Taichi and Kaito. The chocolate-haired teen grinned.

"Thank you for saying so, Mizuhara-_sensei_…"

"Is everyone done chatting?" Kai suddenly asked, breaking the friendly atmosphere.

"Geez…doesn't he _ever_ lighten up?" Takao muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets and leaning against the wall. Everyone else quieted down, though; they knew how important it was to find their friends as fast as possible.

"All right, then…" The slate-haired teen reached into his pocket and brought out Kumiko's Dranzer. Almost at once, the crimson phoenix rose up out of the bit chip, towering over the group.

"Suzaku, it's me," Kai spoke softly, looking deep into his bit beast's eyes. The spark of recognition flared up in the great bird's eyes, and it gave a soft screech of reassurance, causing the slate-haired teen to grin slightly. And then he turned serious once more. "We need your help, my friend."

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"Hey, man! Quit it! I'm not going with you to that creepy lab, got it?"

Kumiko cracked one eye open at the sound of Takeshi's voice. "T-Takeshi?"

"Stop...struggling! You're only making this more difficult for yourself, kid…"

The amethyst-eyed teen sat straight up when she heard Damoto's voice. _Oh, no…_ The girl thought, glancing around. She'd fallen asleep at her post! She stumbled to her feet and then rushed at the guard, noting that Damoto had gripped Takeshi by the shoulders and had hauled him roughly to his feet.

"Hey, you! Let him go!" Kumiko cried, latching onto his arm and trying to break Damoto's grip on her companion.

Damoto smirked, and then gasped when the raven-haired girl _did_ pry Takeshi loose from his grip. And then he snarled, swinging his right hand out and catching Kumiko on the side of her head. The girl gave a short cry of pain before tumbling to the floor, dazed.

"K-Kumiko!" Takeshi was horrified at the harsh treatment. He made to kneel beside the girl to see if she was okay, but was caught up by Damoto once more.

"C'mon, kid; they want you in the labs…" he muttered, smirking as he almost effortlessly dragged Takeshi towards the open door.

"No! Let go of me! I have to - "

_CLANG!_

Kumiko forced herself to a sitting position and surveyed her surroundings; sure enough, she was alone. She grinned.

"Good thinking, Takeshi…" she said aloud, striding quickly towards the closed door. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the handle and pulled. To her surprise and delight, it slid open!

The night before, Takeshi had revealed to her how to place a piece of paper or cloth in a door's locking mechanism so that when moderate pressure was applied, the door would swing closed but wouldn't lock, yet would look as though it were shut tight. And then, just minutes before Damoto arrived to fetch Takeshi, both Kumiko and her companion had feigned sleep, and then when the guard set foot inside the room, the amethyst-eyed teen had done exactly as Takeshi had instructed her. The rest had been all an act, and it had paid off!

Stopping only to pick up the fallen piece of material she'd ripped from the edge of her tank top, she crept out into the hallway and glanced left, and then right. She heaved a sigh of relief. _No one's out on guard duty… Good._

As she walked down the hall – which she hoped would lead to the lab so she could help Ryushi, Takeshi, and Shizuka – she noted that she was still wearing the armbands Kai had given her and wondered whether she had thought to take them off on the night she'd been kidnapped.

Suddenly, red lights began going on and off throughout the hall, and an alarm blared over the speakers. _"Attention! Attention! Prisoner escaping! I repeat: a prisoner has escaped!"_

Kumiko froze. _But…how did-? _And then she realized that she must have tripped an alarm somewhere back. _Darn it…_ she thought, slapping herself mentally for not being more careful and checking for some sign of an alarm system.

"There she is!" someone shouted. The raven-haired teen turned around. At the end of the corridor – near to where she and her companions had been held – were gathered around five security personnel, armed with what looked like tranquilizer dart guns.

Kumiko didn't wait and see what they were planning to do with those – she already knew it, anyway – and then turned and began to run down the hall.

_I have to lose them somehow…_

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"Where do you think Suzaku's going?" Takao asked in between gasps. For the past half-hour, he and his companions had been following the scarlet firebird, running in order to keep it in their sight.

"I have no idea," Kai replied, keeping his eyes trained on his – and Kumiko's – bit beast. "But I'm sure she sensed Kumiko; I could see it in her eyes."

"That's great, but can't it slow down or fly a little lower?" the stormy-eyed teen said, exasperated. "This running's _killing_ me!"

"A little exercise never hurt anybody, Kinomiya…"

"Easy for _you_ to say, Mr. Muscular…"

"Uh, Takao, I think you should - " Max started, and then suddenly there was a _clang!_, an 'OW!', and then a rather dazed Takao was lying on the sidewalk.

"…Look out for the lamp post…" the blonde finished with a sigh.

A few feet away, Suzaku stopped and alighted on a nearby rooftop, sensing its former master and his companions had stopped following it. The phoenix gave a screech, alerting them to her impatience. They had to hurry if they hoped to make it in time.

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"Let. Me. GO!" Kumiko shouted, managing to hit one of her captors with a knee kick and toppling him. The five security men had caught up with her at a junction in the hallway – it had crossed with another – and had managed to subdue her. The amethyst-eyed girl, however, would not stand for this.

She twisted around and, using her free hand, sucker-punched the man who held her other hand. Behind her, the three security personnel gasped, and then pulled out their tranquilizer guns.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Kumiko said as she turned to face them. One of them fired, but the shot went awry as amethyst-eyed teen swept his feet out from under him. Moving quickly before the other two could aim well, she knocked the gun out from one guy's hand, and then kneed the other in the groin. After doing so, she turned around and then began to run again.

Somehow, she sensed that this hallway led to the lab, and so she continued running in the direction the five men had been taking her. _I just hope they're okay… _

Several minutes passed before she stopped and leaned against a wall for support, panting slightly. Straightening up, she glanced behind her and found that no one had followed her. _I wonder why?_ She thought. And then she shrugged and began to walk. _Well, as long as no one gets in my way…_

Suddenly, a scream resounded a little way down the corridor she was now in. The girl frowned. _That was Takeshi!_

She quickened her pace to a fast jog and continued down the hall. _What are they doing to him?_

She stopped abruptly. There was a great steel door to her right, and the corridor led to a dead end. _Then that must mean…_

Hesitantly she turned towards the door and reached out a hand to grasp the handle, at the same time readying herself to attack anyone who made a move to attack _her_ first.

To her surprise, the door swung open without her even touching the handle, and she glanced up. In front of her was Damoto. The taller man smirked. "We've been expecting you, Fujiwara," he said, leering as he grabbed her outstretched arm and yanking her into the room.

"How did-" the amethyst-eyed teen began, and then stopped short. Leaning against the nearby wall was…

"Ryuichi!" Kumiko cried happily. "You're all right!"

The sandy-haired teen smirked. "Why did you think I wasn't?"

Kumiko furrowed her brow. "What are you-?"

"The two of us were never in any real danger, Fujiwara…"

The raven-haired teen turned around at the sound of the familiar voice and gasped. "Takenori-_san_! You - " And then realization sank in, and the girl frowned. "The two of you were never really kidnapped, were you?"

Shizuka grinned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Of course. You have to admit, though, that we put on a pretty good act…"

Kumiko's frown only deepened. Takeshi couldn't have known about the secret to keeping the door unlocked, unless… "But…Takeshi-_san_…he's…"

"Oh, he knows nothing of this of course," Ryuichi answered, sounding as if he'd read Kumiko's mind. "We had to take him, too; if we hadn't, the situation would have been fishy from the start."

Kumiko was about to retort when a rather large hand rested on her shoulder, and a deep, yet quiet and somehow, frightening voice made itself heard.

"Our only real target…was _you, _Fujiwara Kumiko."

The raven-haired girl whirled around to face the speaker and gasped.

"_You_!"

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A/N: Oooooh, wonder who the mastermind is? Haha! Like I _don't_ know; I'm the writer! XD Ahehe...okay, I'm probably on strawberry high right now (I had a strawberry shake before I uploaded this to the archive...).

Ah, well, as usual, please let me know what you guys thought of this chapter...especially since the plot is heating up! Whee! Dewa mata, minna-san! Peace out and God bless!


	11. Chapter 10: Discovery

A/N: Konnichiwa, minna! I'm back with a new chapter!

Mei: Yatta! Things are going more smoothly than expected, Kari-chan!

Me: (nod) Hai. Sou demo ii nara, ne, Aki-kun?

Aki: Whatever...

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade G-Revolution, otherwise, Hiromi wouldn't have been a character created solely for the second season (and who somehow found herself carried over to the third).

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**Chapter 10: Discovery**

"It's you!"

In front of her stood a rather tall, middle-aged man with piercing gray eyes and messy red hair.

Ryushi looked startled "Kumiko…how do you know Mizuki-_sama_?"

Kumiko kept her eyes on the gray-eyed man. "I met him around a year ago when I attended the opening of a hobby shop near my house. Of course, I didn't know his name then; he was introduced to all the visitors as 'M'."

"I'm glad to see you recognized me, Kumiko…" the crimson-haired man smirked.

The amethyst-eyed teen tried to wrench free from Damoto's grip, without much success. "Let Takeshi and me go, Mizuki! I'm sure the BBA sent search parties out to look for us, and you know how serious an offense abduction is…"

"True, but I'm willing to take the risk…" the cold gray orbs glinted maliciously as the man smirked. "At any rate, we have a few more minutes before your friend Takeshi is brought out; then it will be your turn."

Kumiko frowned. "My turn for what, exactly?"

"You'll find out soon…"

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"Hey!" Max exclaimed, stopping short. "Is it just me, or are we headed for Mount Fuji?"

"WHAT?" Takao burst out, eyes wide with shock. "You mean to tell me that we've come _that_ far already?"

"Max is right," Rei said, taking note of the majestic slope taking form before them. "That _does_ look like Mount Fuji up ahead."

"But…why is Suzaku headed there?" Chiaki looked confused. "She's supposed to be looking for Kumiko."

"Maybe the ones who abducted Kumiko and the others have holed up somewhere _near_ the mountain," Kaito suggested, thinking it a bit absurd that anyone would have a hideout on the mountain itself. It was terribly cold up there, and the rocky terrain would make it difficult to build anything bigger than a small thatched-roof hut.

"Point taken…" Chiaki answered. "I just hope you're right, Kaito, 'cause I don't think I'm ready for a climb any time soon…

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"Stop her!" Mizuki cried, racing to the door as he did so. Damoto and a few others personnel followed him.

A few seconds earlier, Kumiko had managed to break out of Damoto's grip and was now racing back down the corridor.

_I have to get out of here fast!_ The amethyst-eyed girl thought, trying to keep her mind clear enough to spot an opportunity should it present itself to her. _I have to...tell Chairman Daitouji...what happened..._

"Hey, you! Get back here!" one of the guards shouted as he and his fellows raced to catch up to and subdue her. Kumiko's only response was to run faster until they were farther behind her, but not by much.

_It's too bad I don't have my - Kai's - armbands...They would have made a great weapon..._ Kumiko thought, glancing frantically left and right for a way to lose the men chasing after her.

And then, a few meters away, she spotted a steel door that was slightly ajar. Glancing over her shoulder for only a brief moment - just to see how far the men were - she grinned, scarcely believing her luck. She slowed down a bit as she neared the door, and then quickly pulled it open, ducked inside, and shut it. She felt a bolt on the door and drew it across, locking it in place and sealing her inside, away from the threats of her pursuers. Suddenly, a light at the far end of the room came on.

"How nice of you to join me..."

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"Suzaku, is it any farther?" Kai asked quietly, trying to keep his breathing slow and even. The scarlet phoenix had stopped just at the end of a trail that led to the forest at the foot of the sacred mountain and was resting on a fencepost. The slate-haired teen's companions were sitting or lying on the ground, gasping quietly and glad of the short break; it had occured to none of them that they would have to run this far.

The firebird gave a shrill screech, and then glanced up at Mount Fuji. Kai followed her gaze and spotted something that looked like a watchtower amongst the trees that grew along the mountain slope.

"What did...she...say?" Takao called out in between gasps.

The crimson-eyed teen didn't look at him when he answered. "We were wrong; the hideout _is_ somewhere up on the mountain. Suzaku says it's quite a trek up there."

Takao groaned. "Aww...man..."

Suzaku regarded her former master and his friends with something akin to concern in her eyes, and she gave a soft screech, as though to deter them from following her any further; she would help Kumiko on her own.

Kai shook his head. "No, Suzaku. We asked for your help in finding Kumiko, and you've nearly fulfilled your part. Allow us to do ours."

For a time, Suzaku was quiet. She could see just how fatigued all ten teens were, but she could also sense their determination in helping her current master. Finally, she gave a screech of consent. Flapping her wings once, twice, she was soon airborne, moving easily with the wind that was usually prevalent this close to the mountains.

One by one, the members of Team BBA and Team Phoenix got up and began following the scarlet beast once more, noticing that she was flying lower - and slower - for their sake, and were thankful for it.

Kai glanced up towards the patch of trees where he thought he'd seen the dismal gray form of the tower. _Wait a bit more, Kumiko...your friends are on the way..._

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Kumiko backed up against the wall, staring in astonishment at the flame-haired man in front of her. "H-how did you-"

Mizuki chuckled darkly. "How did I get here? Why, I knew, of course, that you would come here the first chance you got." He took a step forward, out of the spotlight. "Why do you think I told Damoto to loosen his grip?"

"Told Damoto to-" The raven-haired teen looked aghast. "Then...this...this is..."

"Correct." Mizuki leered at her. "You've fallen for my trap yet again, Kumi-_chan_."

"Don't call me that!" Kumiko shouted, clenching her fists. It irked her that this man would brazenly call her a name only her closest relatives were permitted to use. "How _dare_ you use that name with me! You're not even a relative!"

Mizuki raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Oh?" If it was possible, his smirk grew wider. "I beg to differ." Slowly, the other lights in the room came on, and Kumiko's eyes grew wide with shock and disbelief. "Do you see, Fujiwara Kumiko?"

Slowly, the amethyst-eyed teen walked over to the nearby wall. There, as on every wall, hung several photographs, each encased in their own frame and shielded by a thin glass plate. Tentatively, she reached out to touch one of them, one she'd seen so many times before. "But...but this photo is...my family. Obasan told my that it was taken when I was barely a year old, the last clan reunion." She turned to her captor, glaring suspiciously at him. "How did you get this?"

Mizuki came closer towards her, his face a sinister mask in the half-light. "Simple. That's _my _souvenir of the event."

Kumiko let out a bark of laughter. "Don't be ridiculous, Mizuki! You can't fool me! A 'souvenir'...yeah, right. Do you actually think I'd fall for that?" She gave a smirk of her own.

"I can assure you, Kumi-_chan_, I'm telling the truth...Look carefully at that photograph. Can you see it?"

Kumiko frowned, and then slowly turned her gaze back towards the photo, running her eyes over the rows of people posing and smiling for the camera. There were her older male cousins Yamato, Shigeo, and Touya. Nana and Minagi, her girl cousins and constant childhood playmates. Her Aunt Minami and Uncle Kenji. Her maternal grandparents and her paternal grandmother. Her still-single Aunt Miyuri. There were her parents, and in her mother's arms, her child-self.

And then an image at the upper left portion of the photograph caught her eye. "That person...at the back row...at the very edge of the photo..."

Kumiko gasped. "No!"

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"Hey...why'd we...stop?" Takao asked in between gasps for breath. He leaned forward, leaning his palms on his knees, panting.

"Because Suzaku says that we've arrived," Kai answered, gazing up at something. The others followed his gaze and saw the structure the slate-haired teen had glimpsed back at the foot of Fujiyama.

The main part of the building was a dark, depressing shade of gray, and the windows looked like dark blank eyes staring out of a silent, unmoving monster waiting for its next victim. The watchtower looked even less inviting; it was practically crumbling away in places and had vines crawling up and down its surface, giving the impression of a bound rotting gray corpse.

Takao shuddered, and then turned back to the scarlet bird. "Suzaku, are you sure Kumiko's here? I mean, it's all the way up here, and-" The phoenix gave a small screech, cutting the stormy-eyed teen off. Takao gave a small smile. "Thank goodness. If we have to run any farther, I'll-"

"Everyone, _get down_!" Kai shouted suddenly, throwing an arm around Yuujin - who was closest to him at that point - and bringing her with him as he hit the light snow that covered the ground. A split second later, the sound of gunshots filled the air.

"What the-!" Chiaki exclaimed, daring to raise her head two or three inches off the ground. "Someone's shooting at us!"

"Looks like that justifies Suzaku leading us here," Kaito said, a small grin on his face. "No one would be firing guns if this place was just an abandoned building."

"_Kyaaah_!" Yuujin screeched, tensing up. Mere inches from her face, a small dark object stuck up from the frozen ground, vibrating slightly due to the impact.

"It's a tranquilizer dart." Kai observed.

"That's a good thing, then," Max noted. "At least that means they don't want us dead."

"Hn."

After a few more minutes, the barrage stopped. Kai was the first one up, and he gazed at his companions. "Well? Are you going to lie there through what's left of today?"

"...No." Slowly, the others got up, wary and alert for another possible assault.

"So...where do we go now?" Chiaki asked, glancing at their surroundings. "The lowest windows in this building are too high for us to reach, and none of us have any rope handy."

"How about we use the branches of the nearby trees?" Rei suggested, gesturing to a sturdy-looking pine. "That branch in particular looks like it will hold, and it goes almost to that window over there." He pointed to a window at the eastern end of the structure.

For a time, each one was silent, pondering the neko-jin's suggestion. And then Taichi smiled. "Well, I say let's give it a try. I mean, the snow will provide more than enough cushioning if any of us fall, and it _will_ get us inside the building. You never know, Kumiko might be in a room near that window."

Everyone nodded and mumbled in agreement, smiles growing on their faces as they realized they were one step closer to helping the abducted girl.

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"No!" Kumiko whirled around to face the man behind her and Takeshi's abduction. "That...that can't be. That guy in the picture...that's...that's not..."

"That's not me?" Mizuki ventured, stepping closer to the girl. "Oh, but it is. Look closer, Kumiko..."

The amethyst-eyed teen didn't do so, however; she knew the man before her was telling the truth, no matter how hard she wished it weren't so.

"I...I can't believe it..." Her hands dropped to her sides in disbelief, and she glanced down at the floor, eyes wide, her breath coming in ragged gasps. "You...you're... Miinoru-_ojisan_?"

"So you finally figured it out..." the red-haired man smirked once more. "Yes, I am your father's brother..."

"But...but _why_?" Kumiko asked, the strength of her voice returning. "Why would you-"

Swiftly, Miinoru alias Mizuki closed the gap between them, and, with one hand, tilted the raven-haired teen's face up so he could gaze into her eyes, and she into his. "Kidnap you? It's simple, really. You see, I came across a file in my former employer's archive. It contained details on an unfinished experiment. One that involved bit beasts and bladers' life force..."

Kumiko's eyes widened when she realized what her estranged relative was talking about, and she pulled out of his grasp and backed up, fists clenched. "You mean...what you're doing to Takeshi is-"

The gray-eyed man shook his head, chuckling darkly. "I'm afraid you misunderstand, Kumi-_chan_. Like Shizuka and Ryushi said earlier, our only target was _you_. Takeshi is...merely a decoy.

"You see, in the experiment, one of the more important requirements is that the specimen, so to speak, have optimum control of their blade and, if available, their bit beast. Fortunately, Kumiko, _you _have fulfilled those requirements."

Suddenly, a door at the far end of the room, hidden behind a tapestry, shot open, and in ran around five security personnel. Miinoru gestured to them, and they approached, two of them swiftly restraining the started teen.

"H-hey!" she exclaimed, snapping out of her shock. "Let me go! I _said_ let go of me!"

"Take her to the upper lab," Miinoru said quietly. Immediately, the five guards made for the open door, bringing Kumiko with them.

"Miinoru-_ojisan_, please, think about what you're doing!" Kumiko said, fighting to keep the apprehension out of her voice. "This isn't right and you know it! Uncle, you _have _to come to your senses and stop this!"

Her cries fell on deaf ears, however. Miinoru fell in step behind the small procession and his victim. _Balkov-sensei_...he thought, smirking. _You may be behind bars, but your greatest experiment to date is about to see fruition..._

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A/N: I told you it kicks up a bit! XD So...the truth - at least a part of it - comes out, ne? Something else was supposed to happen after that last scene, but I thought I'd cut it there and carry the intended final scene to the next chapter and make it an opening/transition scene.

By the way, check out 'Pointless War' by darkwater-reflection. She only has one chapter up so far, but it promises to be great (I'm something like her editor...)!

Also, for reviewers, please don't just put 'please update soon' or 'I love this fic!' (or somewhere along those lines) in your reviews. Kindly tell me what you liked and/or didn't like in the fic. Not that I don't like getting those kinds of reviews, but it gets kind of tiring reading almost the same thing over and over. If you will, please comment on the different aspects of the fic; constructive criticism is essential if one is to improve.

Dewa mata! Peace out and God bless!


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